Twin Age
by AshleytheWolfe
Summary: A tale of twin mages and their adventures in life, war, and love.  Ratings may go up in later chapters; it will depend on the strength of the muse.
1. Chapter 1

A quick bit of understanding to be established before you begin… as I hope you will.

Although it is near impossible to have a fanfiction that gives nothing of its subject away, I feel that it is not altogether necessary to follow dialogue or plot verbatim. That being said, I am not likely to have conversations match those that take place in the game word for word; the gist of what was being said or what occurred is the foundation before my artistic license comes into play… that is the fun of writing with established characters and plot lines; 'what ifs' and 'if onlys' can be fleshed out for the sake of _knowing_. As well as for the entertainment value.

::Disclaimer:: I do not own the rights to the Characters, Plot, Locations, etc. from Dragon Age. I do, however own the game (and expansions) and ask for clemency for the way my mind plays with the aforementioned characters, plots, locations, etc. Sometimes (not always) I cannot help it. (The other times I just don't feel like stopping it.)

Enjoy

Breaks, which were once denoted by an extra space, will now be separated with ::AtW::.

Edited to the best of my ability on 8/16/12

::AtW::

**Twin Age, Chapter One.**

Ariella Surana narrowed her eyes in concentration, bending and shaping the flame with her will. Her skin tingled as the mana flowed through her, fueling the spell she manipulated so thoroughly.

"Are you about done? I should think you have proved your prowess the last time. You know, with the fire taking shape as a dancing couple and waltzing around the room?"

She sighed and vanished the flame as she shifted her gaze to her twin, her other half. "I would not have done so if you had not made your own resemble a hala and prance about so daintily."

Allia smiled and tilted her head. "Well, we would not wish to disappoint our instructor… and what is a little competition between siblings?"

Ariella's smile matched that of her sister while she reveled in the moment. Allia was only completely herself when they were alone or while using magic; her shyness had the tendency of crippling her in most other situations. The only other people Allia was comfortable speaking with were First Enchanter Irving and Cullen, a Templar.

They were identical, the only obvious difference in their hair color; Allia's the lightest blonde-near white- and Ariella's as dark as hair could be although their eyes were different, if one were to take the time, and chance being close enough, to notice. They had shared everything from the moment they were to become two separate beings; in the womb the mana had flowed freely between the two of them and their minds had established a connection that even the trauma of birth could not sever.

They shared still; they were in each other's minds nearly at all times. They were practically the same person, as they should have been really.

It was through this link that Ariella knew of Allia's blooming feelings for Cullen.

There were no secrets between the sisters.

Allia was aware of the concerns Ariella would never voice. She understood and had the same simple despair; a relationship with a Templar, a relationship that reflected her feelings, was impossible. Allia steeled herself against the gentile lap of sadness, refusing to subject her twin to it as well. They could feel everything the other did; although they could block physical sensations, mostly, emotions flowed along the mental link much stronger.

_Come, we should sleep soon._

_Yes._

::AtW::

They awoke abruptly from a hand on each of their arms.

"The time has come for your Harrowing."

They nodded their understanding and were led up the many flights of stairs to the Harrowing Chamber.

"This is highly irregular Irving. Never have we conducted two Harrowings simultaneously."

"Well Greagoir, never have we had identical twin mages. I feel it would be in the best interests of maintaining the secrecy involved if they undergo the trial at the same time." Irving turned his attention to the female mages for a moment. "There is much we do not know of twins who both have power."

Greagoir sighed and turned to acknowledge the apprentices, "They would have to be elven, wouldn't they." He muttered under his breath.

Allia and Ariella's eyes connected with the two men, the link between their minds widening as the readied themselves for the task ahead. Neither listened as Greagoir instructed them in the dangers of demons, nor did they pay Irving any mind as he told them that their will was all they needed in the Fade. They approached the pedestal and, as one mind, placed their hands in the shimmering liquid.

At once they were in the Fade.

"It is time Irving, call a demon into their minds."

Light emanated from the First Enchanter's hands as a design glowed into existence under the twins. A red mist enveloped the women before dissipating completely. Greagoir's eyes widened. "What?"

Irving began the spell anew, changing a single syllable which would summon a stronger entity. Again the mist dissipated. He lowered his hands. "This is most odd." He said, his tone laced with curiosity.

"Try again." Greagoir ordered, his gaze never wavering from the young mages.

Irving shifted his attention to the Knight-Commander. "That was the strongest demon that has ever been called in a Harrowing and it could not infiltrate their minds. Only twice before has that type of demon been called for this purpose; when the lesser demon was too weak to infiltrate the apprentice's mind. Both mages later become First Enchanter."

"I understand this Irving, however, it is possible that the demon was not strong enough, the spell was not working, or that it not working was a fluke." The First Enchanter shrugged and repeated the spell. Nothing happened.

"Can you summon a stronger demon?"

Irving's gaze sharpened as it cut to the Templars' leader. "There is only one other demon that is within my power to summon. The last time this particular type took over a mage, the abomination it became decimated three villages."

Greagoir's face hardened. "That event occurred when the mage had left the tower and was not subject to the might of the Templars. Such a thing could not happen in this setting."

Irving shook his head and began the spell. The floor beneath the sisters glowed red, the design melted into the floor as a black mist encircled them softly before spinning madly and dissipating completely.

Shock was apparent on the faces the First Enchanter and the Knight-Commander.

"This cannot be." Greagoir whispered. "They cannot be possessed."

Irving closed his eyes before opening then slowly. "I told you there is much we do not know about twin mages. These two in particular shared the same umbilical cord and healed everyone in the birthing room. They were never placed in their mother's arms, as they began the journey here as soon as the cord was cut." He turned to face Greagoir fully. "I have always expected great things from them. Do not worry Greagoir, they will still be undergoing a trial; if not the one originally planned."

::AtW::

_Lyrium Vein._

_I am there._

One stood beside a glowing section of land, waiting and healing the other while the lyrium seeping to the surface replenished itself. Mana flowed between the two, letting one use the other's supply when their own became too low. They had not made it any further that the Spirit of Valor before being assaulted by demons.

The first had been relatively easy to dispatch; only requiring one spell from each. The next two, however, had forced them to use near all of their mana to destroy. Nothing in all their learning had prepared them for the last demon; an Alpha Sloth Demon.

Every time it seemed as though they had beaten it, it would transform into something so much stronger. It had taken a bit of trial and error before they realized it would be best for one of them to fuel and heal while the other used any and all offensive spells to damage and distract the terror that seemed determined to tear their souls to shreds.

_It is weakening._

_Let us hope this will be the last form._

_Do not fret, if it is not, we will still prevail._

A flash of cold froze the demon in place before the area in between was filled with lightening. They watched wearily as it collapsed to the ground once more; it did not rise again.

_Finally_.

The Fade changed to that of the dreaming; confirming to the twins that the trial had ended. They let their conscious separate to its normal state and welcomed the oblivion of sleep.

It seemed only minutes later that Ariella became aware of her fellow apprentices speaking. She and Allia had not gotten on well with the other apprentices their age; in reality, there was only one other mage in their age range who bothered to socialize with them.

"Are you finally awake then?" Think of the devil.

She opened her eyes and blinked owlishly. "Jowan?"

"It seems you passed your Harrowing. I know I shouldn't ask but… what was it?" He asked as she sat up and tested her legs before standing.

"It was… Harrowing." She said at length, knowing that any detail was forbidden and really, everyone in the dorm was listening in.

She tuned him out and made general comments as she did a quick assessment of herself. It would not do for any damage to have followed her from the Fade.

_He really is such an ass. Do you hear him prattling on about the tranquil and whining about when he will have his own Harrowing. I mean, honestly._

Ariella tsked her sister. _He really is not __**all**__ bad, if more than a little self-centered. _Allia conveyed a sense of noncommittal as she gained her feet.

"…and First Enchanter Irving wants to see you both." Jowan finished.

"I must go then. We can speak more later." She said as they made their way to the tower's second floor.

_There is something going on with him you know._

_Well, he had talked about having met a girl right? It could have something to do with that._

Again, Allia sent a feeling of noncommittal. _I always had the feeling that he was referring to you when he would go on about all of that. I mean, have you seen him with anyone else? It is not as though the tower is full of other options._

_Now I think you are just being mean._

Allia shrugged a mischievous light in her green eyes. _Maybe, but that does not mean I do not make a valid point._

_I am sure we will find out soon enough if there is something going on with him. He cannot seem to keep his own confidences._

They met with the First Enchanter, interrupting a heated discussion between him and the Knight-Commander Greagoir about the war. They were introduced to Duncan, a Grey Warden, whom Allia had Ariella ask many questions of; filling in the missing gaps of information they had acquired from their collective reading of every book the library had to offer. They had never been outside the tower and Allia, in particular, thirsted for any news she could get from the outside world.

They were informed that they had been moved from the apprentice dorm to the mages' quarters and that they should enjoy the day; after they escorted the Grey Warden to the guest chambers.

It was just after they left Duncan's company that Jowan made his presence known once more.

"Ariella, could we speak for a moment?" He asked, looking at Allia pointedly, "In private." Ariella nodded, amusement alight in both of their eyes. _If only he knew._

Allia shook her head as she watched Jowan lead her sister away. She sighed as she heard him talking about how it was a very important matter that he trusted Ariella not to speak to anyone about; especially Allia.

_It is only because he believes you do not like him._

_I **do** not like him._

_I know._

Allia smiled and wandered in the general direction of the mages' quarters that they were to be residing in. Her smile warmed and widened when she saw her Cullen stationed outside the door of the room she was sure would be theirs.

He flushed as she approached. "I…I… I am glad your Harrowing went well."

"Hello, Cullen." She flushed a bit and looked into his eyes. Part of what she loved about him was the way he would stutter when he was embarrassed.

"I… I was the knight chosen to take you out if you became an abomination."

Her smile lost a little of its warmth.

"Would you have?" She asked. "Struck me down?"

"I would have felt terrible about it… but I would have to do my duty." Regret tinged his words; she knew he meant it. How cruel, she thought, that he would have been the one to save her soul and end her life.

"I knew I would pass my Harrowing." She whispered, not taking her eyes off his face.

"I knew you would too… It's just… I have heard of Harrowings going badly and I…" His face flushed again.

She nodded as she finally looked away. "I should stop distracting you from your duties."

"I… I… You're not a distraction. Well, you are, but…" He stuttered. Allia's eyes searched his lovely brown eyes once more. "You can come and talk to me whenever you want."

Her smile bloomed into life again and he flushed for what, she suspected, was a whole other reason.

She walked into her new room and lied back slowly on her bed. She listened with idle interest that became vapid curiosity as to what Jowan was saying to Ariella. She shot up to sitting position. There **was** a girl, and an initiate no less. The same possibility lay with them as with herself and Cullen.

_You **must** agree to help him. We **have** to._

_What about the possibility that he is a blood mage? If he is, think of what he will be doing._

_He already told you he was not; people would be much more likely to suspect a mage of blood magic than to suspect an initiate of any wrong doing. You are the one who said that Jowan cannot keep his own confidences and he had proven so time and again. If he is a blood mage, either you or this Lily should know it. I personally do not believe he has the talent or potential required; that is me and I have been wrong before._

_I think we should go to the First Enchanter about this. Yes, his story may be true but…_

_Do what you must and I will do the same._

It became a race of who could complete the necessary precautions first. Ariella won, though only due to the time it took Allia to clear out the spider infestation in the caverns. The ending would have been the same, they were both aware. When she took the rod of fire and met Jowan and Lily, Ariella felt a slight pang of guilt; the irony that it was she whom they trusted when it was Allia who selflessly worked to help them did not escape either sister.

Jowan and Lily looked at Ariella accusingly when Allia met them at the door to the lower floor. She just shrugged as they continued on their quest. Allia felt a moment of relief when Jowan's phylactery broke on the stone floor. She knew what would happen, as Ariella had told Irving, but her conscious was clear; she had done her best to help the impossible become possible.

The group froze as they were met with the approach of the First Enchanter and Knight-Commander upon leaving the basement. Sadness washed over the sisters.

_We knew this would happen. Either way._

_It does not make it any easier._

"I see you were not lying, Irving, an initiate helping a blood mage. She seems to be of her own mind, no blood magic at work here." He looked into Lily's eyes and rejoined his group of Templars. "Death to the blood mage. As for the initiate who broke her vows, Aeonar for her."

Lily's hand flew to her mouth, "The mages' prison… oh no, I could not possibly…"

"No!" Jowan yelled as he brandished a dagger. "You will not touch her!" He stabbed his hand and knocked all of the Templars, along with the First Enchanter, to the ground.

"Blood magic… but you said…" Lily began, shock and disbelief coloring her tone and evidenced on her face.

"I admit I… dabbled, but it was only a little. I was hoping it would make me a better mage."

"Blood magic is evil Jowan; it changes people. I… I don't even know you. Just leave! Get out of my sight! I never want to see you again!" She yelled, tears trailing down her face.

The twins helped Irving and Greagoir to their feet as they watched Jowan flee the scene. The First Enchanter defended them to the Knight-Commander, who wanted the twins punished for assisting a blood mage. Lily accepted whatever punishment the Commander saw fit, even the mages' prison.

Duncan intervened and conscripted them both, much to the displeasure of Irving and Greagoir.

_What will become of us now?_

_Well, I am sure it will begin with our becoming Grey Wardens._

_But what of…_ The thought went unfinished. Ariella looked at Allie with understanding.

_The tower is not going anywhere. Maybe we can return one day._

Allia closed her eyes. _Maybe._

::AtW::

The Knight-Commander paced Irving's study.

"We have lost the only incorruptible mages to have ever existed, for what?"

"I myself much prefer to have them in the Grey Wardens than to see you have them killed for assisting a blood mage; especially when it was by my command."

"I was not going to kill them. I was going to make an example of them; maybe make one of them tranquil."

The First Enchanter shook his head and returned his attention to his journal. "It probably would not have worked, the Rite of Tranquility, any more than the Harrowing. Those two have a bond with magic that I do not believe can be tampered with."

"Maybe I should have killed them rather than let something so powerful live."

Irving sighed. "You are being very short sighted about this; or possibly willfully ignorant of all it entails."

Greagoir glared at him. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Irving set his quill down as he sat back in his chair. "It means that you and your men would have had to have killed them when they were much younger for you to have been able to kill them at all.

Besides, those two do not have an evil bone in their body. Such pure spirits are rarely seen on this side of the veil. You would not have wanted to be the Templar that killed the Maker's angels or messengers? Would you?"

Greagoir searched the First Enchanter's face. "You truly believe that of them?"

Irving smiled. "It is the only explanation I can find that makes any sense at all."

::AtW::

It was decided; they would leave in the morning. Ariella lied in her bed and stared languidly at the ceiling far overhead. She had already eaten her fill of dinner, said her goodbyes, and packed her belongings; she had even packed Allia's as it did not seem that she would be up to the task any time soon. As though she could change what lie ahead by pretending that none of it had happened. If only.

_You should go to him. We have already spoken with any other we cared for; if you do not you will regret it._

_You just do not want to feel my regret._

_There is that._ A smile graced Ariella's lips. _We both know it is what you want._

Allia sighed. It was; she would only plague herself with the 'what if's and 'if only's, with nothing to come of it. What was done was done; the consequences were ordained. Maker knows what she had thought would come of it. Neither of them had thought their actions would go unnoticed, or that their involvement would be a secret.

Ariella closed her eyes as Allia's footsteps whispered by and out the door. She stretched her consciousness as far away from her sister's as possible; this was the one thing they could do to attempt to offer the other privacy. Still, she sent as much support or confidence as she could while still maintaining the distance.

Allia argued with herself as she made her way to Cullen. He was not stationed far, luckily, and so she did not have enough time to have one side win over the other. She could not look him in the eye.

"Hello Cullen." She whispered.

"I heard a strange rumor that you and your sister are leaving the tower." There was a strain in his words that she had not heard before; as though he were fighting the urge to panic. She looked up into his eyes.

It was there, barely controlled panic.

"We were given no choice, not really." Her voice broke under the pressure of so much emotion. "We are to be Grey Wardens." She tried to calm herself, breathing steadily; still, she could not stop the tears. "I do not want to leave…" She began and ended in a whisper, "you."

She had looked away from him the moment the tears came, having no want for him to see them. She did not see the tender look in his eyes, nor the grief that lay behind it. Her surprise was notable when his armored finger slipped under her chin and turned her face back to his.

"Is there anyone nearby?" He asked.

Confusion swam in her gaze but she searched their surrounding with her senses, with her magic. "The closest person is Ariella; most everyone else is a floor above or below us."

She flushed as his other hand settled on her waist and he pulled her close. He tilted her head back to see her better; meeting her gaze and her blush with his own. "I have never felt… the way I feel for you… for anyone. And… I know it is against everything that I stand for." He paused, trying to fit his thoughts into words. "Maker help me, but I do not care."

Allia blinked away the new tears and her heart swelled. Thinking that you know how someone feels about you and having them actually say it are two very different things. She gently placed her hands on either side of his face, tracing his features softly. "I love you, Cullen."

He pulled her against him gently, his hand sliding to the back of her head. He lowered his head slowly, eyes flickering from her own to her lips and back. "I love you too." He said just as his mouth descended onto hers.

Ariella's brow furrowed. Things she had never before experienced came through her connection with Allia. The flood of emotions and slight physical sensations assaulted her mind. After a moment of processing, realization dawned; Alllia had received her first kiss. Her smiled could have lit up the entire tower with its brilliance.

She extended her awareness, feeling along with her magic; she found them at Cullen's post, which was as she expected. She felt further, making a sweep of the surrounding area. Uh oh.

_Irving is heading your way_. _He will be there within a minute._ She felt the acknowledgement and the reluctance. Ariella sighed as she got out of bed; the things she would do for her sister.


	2. Chapter 2

So far, no reviews; that also means there have been no flames. Which all collimates in my not being able to complain… over much.

::Disclaimer:: I do not own the rights to the Characters, Plot, Locations, etc. from Dragon Age. I do, however own the game (and expansions) and ask for clemency for the way my mind plays with the aforementioned characters, plots, locations, etc. Sometimes (not always) I cannot help it. (The other times I just don't feel like stopping it.)

And so the story continues….

Edited and corrected to the best of my ability on 8/16/12.

::AtW::

Twin Age, Chapter Two

The trip was long and arduous; the novelty of the sheer newness of everything wearing very thin… at least, for Ariella. Allia's mind however, processed it all with fervor; when she was not thinking of the kiss she had shared with Collin.

::AtW::

Ariella had intercepted the First Enchanter and had expressed her discomfort of leaving with so little preparation. They had talked for hours about the gaps in her education and any advice either he or the Knight-Commander could provide would be appreciated. Before she went to take her leave, Allia having already returned to their room and in bed, Irving had his hands on her shoulders.

"I have no doubt that you both will go on to do great things." He paused. "Do not, however, allow those who feel they have more knowledge or experience sway your thinking or influence your decisions overly. Trust your judgment and always do what you feel is best, the rest will fall into place."

She had thanked him and repeated his words in her mind until they were firmly entrenched in her memory, for she had been certain they were words she would need in the future.

The next morning had not been kind to either sister. Their thoughts and emotions were subdued as they exited through the stone doors they had eyed curiously for years. It was not long before their interests were peaked and Allia began listing the plant names of the greenery around them based off of pictures or descriptions in their herbalist texts they had turned to when the more practical tombs had been absorbed. Neither of them had actually believed they would be able to use the knowledge.

Ariella spent the time questioning Duncan and growing to know him better. His ability to judge people accurately was something she was very interested in knowing and he had explained to her how much certain mannerisms and verbal cues can tell you about a person; the nights they spent at inns were most educational. The twins found themselves much at ease in his company; his strength was a comfort as were his quick answers to most questions they asked him. They wanted as much information about social interactions as possible although Allia's shyness would inevitably leave Ariella as the speaker for them both.

::AtW::

The night before they would arrive at Ostagar, Ariella found herself awake and weary. She wondered idly how much more difficult this experience would be without her twin; with only one mind to process and store information, one mind to interpret or notice the different nuances of people, no one familiar, no one to trust and turn to when needed. She felt her sister's sleepy agreement and a feeling of thankfulness that they had always, and hopefully would always, had each other.

"Duncan," Ariella began, watching the flames of their campfire dance. "Is there anything we should know that we have not discussed? I am sure there will be little time for these confidences once we join the others and my sister and I join the fight in earnest."

Duncan scanned their surroundings again, making note of different markers as he would be standing the first watch. He did not look at his companions as he answered.

"There will be many trials in the time a head, not just in the process of becoming a Grey Warden. There will be times when you feel that all is lost; that nothing you can possibly do can remedy the situation. This is one of life's greatest falsehoods.

Nothing can be accomplished, nothing in life will have meaning if you are missing two things: faith and hope. Neither cost a person to have, neither demands a price; lose one or both and you will have lost what it means to be you." His hand moved to rest absently on the hilt of his sword. "It is then that life's greatest falsehood will appear to be life's greatest truth and become a self-fulfilling prophesy. If you want to change the world, to make a difference, then you will; if you believe that nothing you do will change anything, that there is nothing to be done, then it will be so.

Faith and Hope, my lady, are the concepts that can win or lose this war before it has even truly begun."

There was something in his words, a conviction, which met an answering chord in her. She knew the words would never leave her; that they were the words she would live by. Nothing she had ever read or heard had ignited such knowledge within her very soul. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep with a weight lifted from her heart. Faith and Hope she had in spades; Faith in herself, her sister, their cause and Hope that their efforts will ensure a brighter future for all. She also Hoped for their happiness, that at the end of their trials they would find peace.

::AtW::

The sun had only illuminated the skyline for a handful of hours before they arrived before the stone walls of Ostagar. Ariella found herself just as surprised, although a good deal less in awe, by the King's personal welcome as her twin.

_Should we bow or something?_

_I do believe any official niceties were taken care of with the nods of acknowledgment honestly._

They nodded again to Duncan and the King before exploring the area. They had been told something about gathering the other initiates and finding a Grey Warden by the name of Alistair before meeting Duncan by a tent in front of a large harvested different herbs, Ariella talked with many different people, muzzled a sick Mabari (and promised to find the plant needed to heal it), and met the Hero of Fereldan, Teryn Loghain.

His distaste of the King and the Wardens was palpable. He seemed to be a no-nonsense, rigid, man who saw the war as a waste of resources. He practically said as much. Bearing the brunt of his displeasure, both of being disturbed as well as exactly who it was to disturb him, gave Ariella a slick feeling of dread in the pit of her soul.

_This will not end well._

_He will not harm us, he has no cause._

_I do not mean this conversation… I mean that anything that involves Logaihn and the Grey Wardens. No good can come of this… this… resentment._

They left swiftly with a respectful nod as soon as they were dismissed. In no time at all they had wandered into another awkward conversation with an old mentor of theirs: Wynne. The twins were partly relieved that they were not so very memorable and more curious if the older mage would just rather they believe she did not remember them; it would be best to leave a lot of the remembrances in the past… both parties would be very embarrassed for them to be brought up.

_Do you remember the time we…_

_Yes, do not finish the thought. I do not want to stand here looking away guiltily because of it._

_I can do that for the both of us._

_Please, do._

After a few halting phrases and long awkward pauses, the conversation ended and they continued on their way. They met the other recruits; Allia withdrew into herself and Ariella found herself unimpressed and slightly disappointed, although she could find no definitive reason for the feeling. She supposed that she could be judging them harshly as she had not witnessed their prowess… had not witnessed much of anything besides a few inappropriate phrases and nervous whining.

Alistair, however, had her interest and amused her to no end with his antics; the sarcasm and irreverence was such that she felt an instant kinship, a recognition, as the twins often responded to things similarly (although mostly only within their minds). He seemed to be a bit rough around the edges but, at least in Ariella's mind, with a good heart.

They met around the fire, Duncan giving them instructions. They had scrolls to find and darkspawn blood to collect; after killing them of course.

Not far from the gate they were met by the smell, and sight, of death; followed shortly by a pack of wolves. Ariella found herself casting offensive spells, relying on Allia for her defensive spells and healing. The pair of them hated killing the animals, as it was likely that the darkspawn had limited their food supply, causing them to scavenge what they could.

Their group stumbled upon a survivor who told of the horrors in store. The twins bandaged him and sent him back to the gate. Neither of the twins felt that traveling the main path would be overly intelligent and took their time investigating the area. The found many an interesting item, including the plant needed to cure the war-hound back at camp.

When they finally faced the darkspawn, the twin found a rhythm fairly quickly which more than made up for the failings of their other companions, save Alistair. It was Allia who collected the blood and Ariella who tried to smooth over the nerves and insecurities of their fellow recruits. As much as she wanted to snap at them, make them realize that there was a time and a place for their behavior (which was not in the wilds while surrounded by darkspawn), she felt that being brisk would accomplish nothing when a calm demeanor would be much more reassuring.

_I refuse to believe that Duncan recruited these two._

_It certainly does not seem likely… he is a much better judge of character than this._

_Are they so desperate as to allow anyone to initiate into the Grey Wardens? I mean… really, they took two newly Harrowed mages, one womanizing rouge, and a half-scared warrior._

_So long as we can get the job done…_

_Very true._

The twins' mouths opened slightly when faced with something they had believed was a fable: a maleficar. Ariella spoke for the group, the men to terrified and Allia being Allia. Her attitude seemed to have struck the apostate as interesting and they kept a respectful silence as she led them to her home in the wilds.

Her name was Morrigan and the twins thought her to be wildly beautiful; like an untamed beast. They did not fill the gap with useless niceties or small talk; Ariella believed that such things would annoy the apostate almost as quickly as the ignorance displayed by the males of her group. Turn them into creatures indeed.

Something about Morrigan's mother, Flemeth, however struck a chord of warning within her. Polite though they had been, something in her eyes was just short of predatory just as something in Morrigan's was bored. They retrieved the scrolls, thanked the older maleficar and followed Morrigan out of the wilds.

_I believe this Flemeth wants something from us._

Ariella hmmmed in assent. Neither twin noticed how the others snuck looks at them.

_It is likely something we would loathe to give._

_Agreed. If we are to meet again, we will have to tread softly on uneven ground._

Upon returning to Ostagar, the twins gave the herb to the Mabari attendant and were pleased to be told that it would recover. They then joined Duncan and Alistair at the fire to complete the ritual required to become a full Grey Warden.

::AtW::

Darkspawn.

Nothing Duncan had said, no demon of the Fade, could prepare the twins for their first encounter. Humanoid, slightly intelligent; they had to be, if only due to their ability to cloth themselves as well as use tools and weapons. Not intelligent enough to bathe it seemed.

Allia wondered absently if it would make any actual difference. Ariella thought not as the darkspawns' flesh seemed to be in an advanced state of decomposition. The smell of their living state of decay over-rode that of the corpses that littered the ground just outside the gates to Ostagar.

Alistair had mentioned that one of the perks to being a Grey Warden included the ability to sense the darkspawn. Allia thought the smell gave ample warning and Ariella, in agreement, suggested they learn more long-range and area spells.

There was no way the smell would wash out easily and the twins really, really, **really** hated to do laundry.

They had not had any problem killing the creatures; Ariella was surprisingly good at it actually. Now, bearing in mind the smell of living and dead darkspawn (neither twin thought the distinction made much difference), it would stand to reason that their blood would not, **does not**, smell all too pleasant.

It was really no wonder that drinking it, even a sip, could kill a person. Poor Daveth. Ser Jory, in Allia's opinion, was doomed to die regardless.

_At least he did not die with that taste in his mouth._

Ariella rolled her eyes.

_What? I have a point._

She did, truly; as the cup was placed in Ariella's hands she wished that they could drink together. It was rather unfortunate that they only used one cup for the ceremony. She removed her consciousness as far from her sister's as she could; they did not know what would happen to the other, should one of them die. She wanted it to be as soft a blow as possible… if…

Ariella looked at the cup balefully, her nose wrinkling slightly at the smell. She glanced at Duncan and Alistair, noting their tension at her hesitance.

"Would one of you happen to have a cloth handy?" She asked, twirling the cup in her hands. "No disrespect for the dead but…" Her gaze shifted to one of the bodies on the floor. "I do not wish to think as to where his mouth has been and," she paused," I do not know where it was on this cup."

Allia smiled softly as Duncan handed Ariella a handkerchief. She snatched the cup from Ariella's hands within seconds of her swallowing the foul liquid and quickly did the same; Allia refused to wait to see if her sister would live. They fell gracefully to the floor, their hands coming to rest together as they had in the womb.

Duncan knelt between them and checked their breathing. "They will live." He said as he stood.

Alistair looked from one to the other. "That was the second most entertaining Joining I have been to."

"It was also only the second Joining you have been to."

"True enough, but I almost couldn't keep a straight face when she asked for a cloth."

Duncan smiled. "Yes, it was most amusing as it was unexpected. The delivery was better than some. 'Could use a bit of sugar' was not nearly as creative."

Alistair pouted. "Everyone is a critic."

::AtW::

The twins awoke with a start, the roar of the Archdemon vibrating in their minds; the headache that accompanied it causing Ariella to try, very hard, to not think and Allia to wish, repeatedly and vehemently, for relief. Both wondered if death were the preferable outcome.

_If this is death, someone should really take the Chantry to task for such an epic lie._

_Or at least they should have some form of disclaimer._

Allia snorted and groaned at the added pain. _Do not make me laugh. If you have any love for me, do __**not**__ make me laugh._

Ariella did not respond as she felt her sister's pain, though it was slightly removed from her own. She made the effort to not move her head as she opened her eyes. She blinked a bit, grateful that they seemed to be in their tent with only the fire outside illuminating it. Her eyes slid slowly to the flap as it was pulled aside. Various dangers and situations flitted through her mind as she pushed past the pain to focus her magic; she would defend them both should it come to that.

Which it would not as she recognized Alistair in the darkness with two glasses in his hands.

_I hope that is something for the pain._

Allia agreed with gusto.

"Duncan thought you might be awake so I brought this to help with the pain." Alistair whispered.

_Maker be praised!_ Allia thought, never moving nor signaling in any way that she was awake.

"It smells and tastes horrible but not much can top the nastiness that is darkspawn blood. It does try thought… really hard."

Ariella smiled before she closed her eyes and, through sheer force of will, sat up. She accepted a glass and opened her eyes; she did not bother taking a moment to smell it before she downed the contents as quickly as possible. She fought back the gag and shudder; it would likely just hurt her head worse.

She did not notice the glint of admiration in Alistair's eyes as she lifted Allia's head and poured the foul liquid down her twin's throat. Allia gagged.

_It is worse than the blood._

_Swallow quickly; it works better than magic._ Which Ariella supposed was true enough, the pain was fading rapidly and she would not have trusted either of their healing magic to work effectively; if it worked at all.

_I hope this stuff is not like certain herbs. You know, the ones that perfume your skin for days after you eat it._

_If it does, I wonder if we could blend in with the darkspawn._

Allia snorted. _I should hope so; there is no way we could be too popular smelling this way otherwise._

Ariella smiled and giggled a bit before she noticed Alistair looking between the two of them with confusion written on his face.

"What could possibly be so funny?"

Allia began to giggle uncontrollably as she broadcasted different undercover scenarios to Ariella.

"Oh, well, just thinking about…"

_Laundry! _Allia thought and giggled more.

Ariella's smile widened. "Yes… laundry."

Alistair blinked at them. "O…kay. Well, there is food waiting for you two as soon as you have finished with your thoughts on… laundry."

Ariella did not join her twin in her fit of giggles until Alistair had left the tent, the flap falling silently back into place behind him. They laughed until tears streamed down their cheeks and the stomachs ached from the exertion; sharing images and flushing out different plans.

Alistair shook his head as he made his was over to the Grey Warden Commander, their laughter resounding in his mind; there was something different about those two. Not that he had had many encounters with mages… or elves… or women even really. They were different though; probably different from any other female elf mage he could or would meet.

Duncan nodded to Alistair, his eyebrow raised. "I can hear their laughter all the way over here. What was so amusing?"

Alistair blinked. "They said they were just thinking about laundry."

The light dawned as the ex-Templar realized just what had been so off. "They both were just smiling and laughing without having said a word to one another. Duncan… do you think maybe?"

The Warden Commander shifted his gaze to the tent. "That they do not have to speak to have a conversation? " Alistair nodded. "That would be my guess, although I have to say they are usually much more discreet; it would not have occurred to me if they had spoken to one another more during our trek from the Circle Tower."

The younger warden contemplated the flames. "Do you think that they can… read other people's minds?"

Duncan smiled and patted Alistair's shoulder. "No. If they could, I doubt very much that they would be here. I had to conscript them you know; although, to be honest, I was planning to approach them about joining the Grey Wardens anyway… circumstances did play into my favor though."

"Really now," Alistair said with great interest, "that is a story I would love to hear."

Duncan shifted his stance and placed his arms behind his back as he too looking into the flames. "It is not my story to tell; you will just have to ask one of them."

The twins emerged from their tent; smiles still alight on their faces. Alistair sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.

"I take it you have just noticed how striking they are."

Alistair blushed as he nodded. "It is a little silly I am sure as I have spent a bit of time with them; what with the pre-joining quest, the joining itself, and the tent. I guess I was too distracted by all the activities to really look at them before."

Duncan smiled. "They are quite the pair, very skilled, we are lucky to have them," he said watching the twins help themselves to large quantities of food. He nodded in acknowledgement as Ariella raised her hand in a slight wave. "That one is a natural born leader. She will go very far."

"And the other?" Alistair asked. Duncan raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the younger man.

"She will be right there with her. I doubt there is much that could separate that pair."

Alistair snuck a look at the two women again before turning his gaze to the fire. "I hope nothing tries to."

::AtW::

The next morning found them in a flurry of activity with everyone preparing for the battle ahead; the battle King Cailan believed would end the Blight. Allia felt that this was a very naïve and highly unlikely outcome, Ariella agreed with her whole-heartedly; it was well known that the Archdemon must die in order to end the Blight. This Archdemon had yet to show itself, its existence only known through the connection the Wardens made; it would seem that this old god was much more intelligent than its predecessors.

The twins had a vague sensation that this day would not end well, a pull at their consciousness that they could not quite reach or understand.

Still, Loghain's plan had merit and with his soldiers flanking the enemy it was possible that Orlesian assistance would be unnecessary. Neither twin much cared as to where a soldier came from so long as the war was won and this menace ended; then again, they were not alive during the Orlesian rule or the revolution that had restored Fereldan to its true Royal Bloodline. Ariella supposed that the King's quickness to trust its former enemy had a lot to do with the same reason; he had not yet been born when this had occurred as well. Loghain, on the other hand, was the Hero of Fereldan; the man that had saved the king and restored the country.

That thought caused the feeling of unease to pull harder, as though this was very important… The pull was harder and the twins were growing frustrated by the sensation. This feeling that they **know** something and yet not being fully aware of this understanding; not fully fathoming what they **know**. They tried their best to shake it off and make the preparations of their own. Allia checked on the progress of the Mabari they had retrieved the herb to assist with the healing of; it was doing better, although still not fully recovered. The attendant said that with time it would be good as new.

The thought that they had saved even one creature warmed the hearts of the mages. They knew, as did all those who would fight the darkspawn, that this day could save hundreds- if not thousands- of lives; the Mabari was personal, an outcome of their deed that they could see. It gave them hope.

The twins listened to the plan once more, only slightly surprised when Duncan said that they, along with Alistair, would be responsible for lighting the beacon to summon Loghain's re-enforcements. Ariella was slightly concerned by the other Warden's response to this new. Yes, she could understand wanting to fight by Duncan's side as he had proven to be most capable and very respectable, but the lighting of the beacon was the action the entire plan revolved around. Neither minded that they would not be in the thick of battle; not when there would be so many darkspawn… they had thought the smell of a few was bad. They could not imagine the smell that would accompany a hoard.

_That, and it would be much harder to avoid getting it on our clothes._

_Now is not the time to be going on about laundry again._

Alistair looked at them as Allia tried to suppress a snicker. It was in their favor that they had already moved into position and were out of earshot from the more authoritative individuals.

"Laundry again?" He asked, eyebrow raised. Ariella nodded and blushed before she looked away.

Soon enough they were running towards the tower, joined by a few guards who told them the darkspawn had somehow breached the walls and had taken the tower. Allia mourned the fate of her robes as it was splattered with the bits of blood and… other bits after a darkspawn exploded. Still, Ariella had been much closer and had the bits in her hair and on her face. She reprimanded her sister and tried to get her to focus.

Allia worked on healing and replenishing mana as Ariella used spell after spell. With Ariella close to the thick of things, there was no time for her to drink the lyrium potions. The twins had been equals in skill and knowledge but now that the knowledge was being put into practical use, Ariella was becoming much more adept at attacking and Allia at healing; it helped that they had easily found a rhythm. They both knew they would still need to practice what the other was perfecting; there was no way to know when their roles could be reversed.

They fought their way through the tower. Room by room, skirmish by skirmish (Allia had had a great deal of fun discovering how to use a ballista), the moved forward until they finally reached the very top… and were met by an Ogre.

The twins blinked. They had never seen anything so large… well, nothing that was a living, breathing, **thing** anyway. The separated running circles around the beast while Alistair and the soldiers tried their best with their blades, weapons, and shields. Allia and Ariella traded off the offensive spells and the healing; both replenishing their mana as they went along. The beast seemed most interested in killing them both off before turning its attention to the men that were attacking it. Such was their luck after all.

Panic surged through Allia as Ariella had not dodged the stone the Ogre threw fast enough. She could feel the shock and the pain of the impact. Allia healed her quickly and dodged to the side before sending a bolt of lightning towards their extremely large foe; she needed to distract it long enough for Ariella to regain her feet and get **moving**. Relief washed over her and she felt the gratitude her sister sent and jumped right as the beast came barreling at her. She felt a brush of heat as a fireball set the creature ablaze.

"Now!" Ariella yelled and Alistair jumped on its back; burying his blade into the beast as he made his way up its towering form. It fell back as the Warden's blade found its throat, severing its arteries and killing it finally. Allia quickly lit the beacon.

The three shared a smile and laughed a bit in the moment of victory… before the doors burst open and darkspawn released their arrows. Everything went dark.

Down on the battlefield, Duncan looked to the tower to see the light blazing. The darkspawn were rushing them with no re-enforcements to be seen; he knew, in that instant, that they were betrayed. Still he fought, killing as quickly as he could, hoping to reach the King's side and ask for him to retreat… only to see an Ogre swipe the King off the ground and crush him in its fist as though he were nothing.

Rage coursed through Duncan's body. He prayed to the Maker that all be not lost, even though he knew this battle was done, that his death was assured. He saw the twins in his mind, Alistair with them, and did not lose hope. He killed the Ogre, determined to avenge Fereldan's fallen ruler before he died. He did not flinch as the ax was swung at his head. All would not be lost. They would succeed where he had failed.

He just **knew **it.


	3. Chapter 3

::Disclaimer:: I do not own the rights to the Characters, Plot, Locations, etc. from Dragon Age. I do, however own the game (and expansions) and ask for clemency for the way my mind plays with the aforementioned characters, plots, locations, etc. Sometimes (not always) I cannot help it. (The other times I just don't feel like stopping it.)

Enjoy

**Twin Age, Chapter Three**

Ariella slowly drifted through the layers of dreaming to those of awareness and waking. Her eyes opened with a start as her mind replayed those last few moments of consciousness. Allia responded in kind as jerked into a sitting position.

They were in a hut. Ariella sat up slowly and met the golden eyes that belonged to the Witch of the Wilds; to Morrigan. The twins did a quick inventory of pain or injury and were relieved to find none. Morrigan did not moved, merely watched the two with curiosity.

"Tis most odd, really, when my mother rescued you both and the male she said that a barrier had been erected around your forms that kept the darkspawn away long enough for her to reach you." The twins did not respond. "She also mentioned that your wounds, which should have been grievous indeed, had healed in the time it took to bring you here."

"Where is here exactly?" Ariella asked, and noticed for the first time that both she and her sister were in the underclothes. She noticed that their skin was free of dirt and blood but her underclothes were not so lucky. There was an awful lot of blood… enough that there should be a wound somewhere to accompany it; her skin was flawless, not even a scar to be seen.

"You are in my home in the Korcari Wilds. I have tended to you all as needed. You have been unconscious for little over two days. The other Warden woke a few hours ago and seemed greatly disturbed by the outcome of the battle."

"What was the outcome?" Ariella asked, though Allia thought it was likely they both knew. There could be only one reason Flemeth would be the one to rescue them.

"The battle was lost." Morrigan said simply. "The majority of the army quit the field shortly after the tower beacon was lit; all those that were abandoned were killed."

_King Cailan and…_

_Duncan, yes. Poor Alistair._

"We thank you very much for your hospitality and apologize for the imposition as we are sure there is much you would have rather been doing." Ariella said as she stood. Allia noted, as she did the same, the clean robes and under things at the foot of the bed.

"True, I would rather not have been left to bathe you both in order to ascertain whether there were any injuries that would need care." Morrigan smirked slightly. "Still, it was much easier than the man; Mother was responsible for his care."

Ariella nodded in acknowledgement and waited for the witch to leave the room before she and her sister stripped off their soiled garments, washed the newly exposed areas, and changed into the clean clothing provided.

_I wonder if there is some sort of enchantment that can blood-proof clothing and hair._

_That would have been something to ask Finn really; he was the one all of the other apprentices would gossip about._

_Oh yes, the one that would faint at the sight of his own blood or throw the biggest tantrum when a bit of dust would mar his robe._

_That would be the one._

_Funny how we never met him._

Ariella looked at her in amusement. _Since we were so very social and popular; however did we manage?_

Allia made a face before angling her head at the door. They needed to find Alistair and decide their next move; surely with the time he had to process the news he would have come to a decision by now.

This was not to be the case. They found the other Warden in a state of grief and anger. Ariella's heart went out to him but this was not the time for grieving. Flemeth may have rescued them from certain death, but the twins doubted her motive was as simple as trying to save her home from the Blight; they believed that, if she so wanted, Flemeth could eradicate any threat that presented itself.

Ariella questioned the ancient maleficar, asking for Allia as well. Once the questions were answered with as much information as Flemeth was willing to give Alistair declared that they would return to Orzammar to check for any survivors. The twins were in agreement and anxious to be on their way, they made their thank yous and apologies and prepared to leave when Flemeth ordered Morrigan to accompany them.

_This is likely what she was planning all along._

Ariella agreed. _ This could not be the end of such a plan, still, it is better to have a potential threat where you can see it than to worry and wonder about it in the dark._

"We welcome the company." She said with a slight smile. Alistair's face showed his shock and distaste but he did not argue. Allia thought that chances were that they would be responsible for every decision and every companion they make. Ariella agreed and shrugged.

_If this is how it must be, then we will handle it._

_Of that I have no doubt._

The quickly found that they would not be able to enter Ostagar and that most of the bodies had been removed; it was impossible to say by which side or for what purpose. Ariella found Duncan's shield and sword though and stowed them away, thinking that once Alistair had processed his grief that he would appreciate having something from his fallen mentor.

The twins were at a loss as to what to do for him. They were sure the bickering with the wild beauty was not truly helping with the grieving process, but they were just as sure that Alistair needed the distraction their enmity provided. Allia found their insults vastly entertaining although it did strain Ariella's patience a time or two; she felt that Alistair was judging the apostate by a pre-set belief that all non-circle mages were evil rather than allow Morrigan to prove herself one way or the other through her own deeds. Allia cautioned her that there was more to the maleficar's presence than they knew; Ariella agreed but said that she would allow the woman to prove herself as a friend or foe and not make a decision based on supposition. Allia did not truly agree but understood her sister's reasoning.

Soon after they left the field outside of Ostigar, deciding to make their way to Lothering, a Mabari hound bounded up to them and offered his paw. The twins noticed the slight scarring on its shoulder and knew it was the same dog they had tried to save before the battle. Their happiness was palpable and the declared that the dog would be joining them; Allia decided to name him Ginn, as he was as dirty as the similarly named mage supposedly was clean and the thought amused her.

They had made camp, knowing they would be reaching Lothering in the morning hours. Allia and Ariella had discussed Alistair's… condition and agreed that it was time to talk with him about it. Ariella made her way to him while Allia rested against Ginn.

Alistair did not look at her, instead continuing to glare at the fire and poke it occasionally with a stick. Ariella slowly sat on the ground beside him, tucking her robes beneath her. Silence stretched between them.

"I am here if you would like to talk about it. I know you are hurting and do not want you to bear the weight of it alone." She said at length.

He poked the fire again. "He was like a father to me. Being raised by the Chantry… it was never about the individual, they never gave you individual attention unless more training was needed or you had done something wrong. No affection, no real praise. When Duncan conscripted me… it is hard to describe but really, he gave me a family.

Now, they are all gone. You were not able to meet them… but I am sure you would have liked them all as well." Tears made their way down his cheek. Ariella thought there was something beautiful about a warrior's tears.

"I cannot say that I know your pain as the bond I made was not nearly so strong. I can say that Duncan was one of the greatest men I have ever known and that the world is a lesser place with his loss." She took his hand in hers, pulling the stick gently from his grasp and placing it on the ground. "I know you blame yourself for not being there to help, for living on when so many are dead." He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Duncan would be glad to know that we are alive, that all is not lost. We were chosen by him; he believed in us and we can only fail him if we were to give up now." She intertwined her fingers with his and trailed her fingers over his hand in attempt to sooth him. She placed her fingers under his chin and lifted his head, waiting for him to open his eyes; blue eyes meeting green. "We will not fail him, Alistair, we will do our best to right this terrible wrong and end this Blight. There is no weakness is mourning the loss of a friend, a commander, or a father-figure; there is great strength to be found in such a loss.

He was a great man and I am sure he would want you to have this." She removed Duncan's sword and shield from her pack and placed it on the ground between them. Too many emotions to identify swirled behind his eyes as the weight on his heart lifted. He was not alone, there was still one person who was willing to know, understand, and stand by him.

"Thank you." He whispered, unable to say more. She nodded and moved to stand.

"He was a great man." She repeated, "And so are you." She smiled softly at him before leaving the light of the fire and joining her sister. Alistair's eyes did not leave her form for many long minutes before returning to the fire.

He would grieve, could grieve, for that which was lost but he had found strength of purpose now. He thought on what Duncan had said of her, that she was a natural born leader who was destined for great things; Alistair could not agree more. This was a woman he could depend on, one he could respect and follow; she had given him back the most important thing that he had thought he lost: Hope and Faith.

Morrigan had watched the exchange with interest. She had no liking for the man as she was sure they would never agree on anything, the dark haired mage though she found to be quite interesting. The woman had treated her with nothing but respect, asked for her opinions and allowed her to speak her mind; not once was she made to feel that her beliefs were wrong or that she was less of a person.

The apostate was unsure how to interact with such an individual; the man she could shower with disdain, the lighter haired sister with indifference, and the dog… well, she had a sort of odd affection for the beast even though it pestered her and tended to present itself. The Warden called Ariella was like no one she had ever encountered, no one she had ever observed, in all of her travels; this female earned her respect, if not her envy. Morrigan would never be able to interact with others in such a way, with as much grace and ease as she; not that the maleficar really wanted to interact with most people. Still, the company the lady brought was pleasant and refreshing, something she was fast coming to look forward to.

She decided that she would just watch and wait. Puzzles tended to be less confusion when time was taken to ponder, so she would. She returned to her own fire to ready for bed. Another long day awaited them.

::AtW::

They approached the gates to Lothering before the sun reached its mid-day peak. The pull on the twins' subconscious renewed itself when they saw the outline of the village; this time, the understood. This time, they **knew**. Within those walls were two additional companions, those who might aide their cause.

They wandered about the village after running off a group of bandits, taking a few tasks from the Chantry Board and talking with people. Morrigan was not happy as she felt a majority of their activity was a waste of time; the twins felt that earning coin was an important part of life out in the world and that they could use as much as they could come across. You never know when they would need to restock supplies or replace equipment.

It did not take them long to realize that the village was in dire straits. The army had come through and taken every soldier in the area, leaving behind a handful of Templars to handle… everything really. It was no wonder bandits were robbing and killing the refugees and the only other merchant was changing excessive prices; who was going to stop them? The twins and their group, it seemed, were the only entity of law and order making its presence know.

This, as it turned out, may not have been in their best interest. An appreciative man, a gossip really, informed them of the official dictate of what happened at the battle of Ostagar; Loghain had made it known that the battle was lost and the king dead due to the treachery of the Grey Wardens, and that there was a bounty to be paid for the capture (dead or alive) of any remaining Warden. He was also nice enough to let them know there were guards looking for Wardens matching their description in the Inn.

The insult and outrage flowed freely between the sisters and was mirrored by Alistair. Not only had they been betrayed and left for dead; now it seemed that the one responsible would besmirch the character of the one group of people who had stood to defend the country and its people from the greatest threat known. They would not stand for it, they would not sneak off to hide and let this atrocity stand.

They entered the tavern.

There were armored men making a bit of a scene as soon as they entered. They seemed to have had a bit to drink, not enough to ignore the groups arrival and certainly not enough for them to see reason or believe anything Ariella had to say. A woman had spoken up and joined in the fight on their behalf; not that it was needed, but the effort was appreciated.

Ariella thanked the woman for her assistance and learned that her name was Lelianna and that she was a cloistered sister. The twins knew there was more to this lady than met the eye; her fighting had been very skilled and graceful. When she asked that she be allowed to join them, explaining how she felt it was the Maker's will, neither twin felt the slightest unease in agreeing. They **knew** after all, that there were two people who would benefit their cause.

Allia was intrigued by the idea that the Maker would talk with a person; it was a contradiction to the Chantry's teachings as they felt no one was good enough to warrant the attention of the Maker. Ariella was not one to question anyone's belief systems, no matter how odd or unorthodox they might seem.

During their wanderings of the town, they came upon a rather large… person in a cage. They learned quickly that he was a Qunari and that he had committed a terrible crime. Allia felt and instant recognition and knew that in this man there was a kindred spirit; Ariella agreed that he was not such a person who would do such a thing without reason and that having him with them would be in their best interest. They spoke with the Reverend Mother and she agreed to release him into their custody.

Alistair had also recognized a man, one of Castle Redcliff's soldiers, in the Chantry. He gave grave news about the health of Arl Eamon, the Arl of Redcliff, and told of his quest for the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Ariella could see the concern and remembered out Alistair had said that the Arl of Redcliff was an honorable man and that he would help them. Allia had agreed that the more support they received, the better off they would be when they were able to confront Loghain. The man had his own army after all; not to mention his daughter is the queen.

Ariella had agreed with Morrigan's assessment; that they would be dogged at every step by their enemy if they did not take care of it soon. She also agreed with her twin that more… influence would be needed in dealing with the Hero of Fereldan. It would seem that their first destination would be Castle Redcliff.

Ariella released the Qunari who said he should be called Sten. He was quiet, large, and imposing; she was slightly fascinated by him. The reading on the Qunari people was extremely limited in the tower she could only hope that he would be willing to talk about his culture and the way of his people. His stoic demeanor, however, made her think that talking was not something he enjoyed.

_Are Qunari not typically horned? I thought our readings said they usually have horns on their heads._

_I do believe it said that as well._

_It might have been mistaken…_

_Or he just is not typical._ Allia made a good point.

Ariella let their new companions select their own armor and weaponry from what they had collected. She was not surprised to see Sten with a large, two-handed, hammer; she also had thought Lelianna would choose the bow and arrows. The twins were surprised when Lelianna brandished a lock-picking set and opened an abandoned chest for them; they thought this a skill that would be very useful.

They were accosted by groups of men, bandits, farmers, refugees, who had learned of the Wardens' presence and wanted the reward. Ariella was saddened by the deaths that resulted from the altercation; it was the first time she had killed a person and it was not at all the same as killing darkspawn.

They made camp in the evening, just before the sun disappeared over the horizon.

::AtW::

Allia and Ariella made their way to a clear stream near the camp; although they were cleaner than they could have been, thanks to Morrigan's care, they still felt… dirty. They stripped down to their unmentionables, not wanting to be completely exposed so close to male company; neither of them thought their companions to be the peeping type, it was the principle of the thing really.

The cool water felt glorious on their overused leg muscles and much abused feet. They were not surprised to be joined by Lelianna and accepted her soaps with gratitude.

_We will need to pick up such supplies when we reach Redcliff._

Allia sat down in the current, allowing the steady pull of the water to rinse away the lather as well as the dirt and blood. She readily agreed, adding that they should sell their excess materials as they would be a source of income and a waste of space otherwise.

The twins went about the process of letting their hair down; Allia wore her pale locks in a bun high on her head while Ariella had twin braids that were twisted into buns that rested on the base of her neck. The twins had styled each other's hair since they were old enough to do so, and throughout the years, shears had only trimmed the masses. When their hair was down, it fell slightly past their knees.

Lelianna almost gasped at the sight. So much hair… so much could be done with it. Her mind swirled with thoughts of intricate braids and curls but she held her tongue; they had only just met after all. It would not do to alienate one's companions so quickly, especially those so obviously new to the ways of the world. It amused her to see such sheltered young women leading a group such as theirs' into a fight against a threat to the world they knew nothing of. She, however, was not one to question the wish of the Maker.

They all washed their clothing and changed into spare sets for the night to let them dry. Ariella thought that by being self sufficient they would set an example for the rest of their party so as to forestall any preconceptions; as much as they hated doing laundry they would hate more for it to be assumed that the women would be responsible for it. That was, after all, the way of the tower.

They gathered their belongings from the bank and brought them back into the camp. Ariella smiled at Alistair as he headed the way they had come. Lelianna joined the twins be the fire, where they had found a way to hang their robes and were drying their hair.

"You have the most glorious hair I have ever seen." The lay sister said. "It is so very long."

Ariella pulled her hair to the other side of her head so that she could look their companion. "We have never had it cut." She began, "There were many times when we saw the other females take shears to their own or another's with disastrous results." Their minds supplied one another with pictures and they smiled widely. "We decided long ago that we would not allow such a thing to occur and so we left it as nature would intend it."

Lelianna's eyes sparked with amusement. She had seen similar disasters, even had a few, she was sure. The deftness at which they re-assembled one another's hair impressed her and she knew at once this was a habit they had gotten into long ago.

"I would love if you would let me do your hair sometime." She said without thinking and cursed herself as she had decided not long ago that it was much too soon to be asking for such liberties.

Ariella arched an eyebrow and smiled. "So long as no shears are involved, we would not mind."

They went on talking for a time; the twins finding out that Lelianna once traveled extensively and had a love of stories. Allia was very interested in the Orlesan tales; there had not been many foreign books in the tower and the twins were just beginning to understand how limited their knowledge of the world was.

Sten stared into the depths of the forest, his stance relaxed although his baring told of vigilance as well as potential speed of action. He noted one of the elven-mages, light haired one, had taken residence near him. He prepared himself for an onslaught of questions, of pointless comments and queries that held no interest for him. His people rarely wasted breath in such a way, a majority of what was expected was understood.

No questions came, not a sound or word uttered. Sten pondered whether he was expected to initiate a conversation; the ways of such creatures mostly unknown as it was not something he found interest in, not even as he stood for countless hours over the many days he had spent in the cage. After a moment he decided not; he had no want for mindless chatter on things he had no care for.

They settled into a comfortable silence that Allia found solace in; it was rare for her to be in another's company without them expecting her to say something. Sten was reserving his judgment on the Grey Wardens; killing darkspawn and assisting with the ending of a Blight were pursuits worthy of a member of the Barassad, he had doubts as to how great of warriors two small females could be. He watch and if found unworthy… Time would tell.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello to all those who cared enough to read this far!

I realize that some parts of the story are extremely mundane and seem to add nothing to the plot or character development, however, it would be unrealistic to think (or write) that every moment of every day is full of action or pertinent dialogue. (It does tend to drag the story a bit though, which is why I think they just skip the traveling between destinations and whatnot.) I am trying to give insight into individuals through the little things, the mundane daily routines and hope it does not result in complete disinterest.

::Disclaimer::

I hope you enjoy.

**Twin Age, Chapter Four**

The grass had grown thinner as they rose in elevation, the soil composition changing; the trail they followed becoming reddish and rocky. Allia thought the ground looked as though the blood of too many had stained it so that no amount of rain could remove it. Ariella agreed as she wondered whether the soil around Ostagar looked much the same.

Alistair pulled Ariella to the side just as fork to Castle Redcliff or the village came into sight.

"There is something I should tell you." He began; Ariella had a feeling she knew what this was going to be about. "Remember how I told you Arl Eamon raised me and my mother was a maid in the castle in Denerim?"

Allia supplied that he had said something along the lines of flying dogs from the Anderfells who had a strange dislike for cheese…

_He did explain how he ended up with the Chantry. He just likes to deflect serious questions with sarcasm and dry humor._

_I am not sure why you even try to talk with him._

_I think it is cute._ Ariella insisted, _besides, I find him to be funny._

"…well, Arl Eamon is not my father as people had thought; I am actually the bastard son of King Maeric."

Ariella blinked up at him, wishing she had paid a bit more attention to what he had said.

"Would that not make you the heir to the thrown?" She asked, curious as to how inheritances worked with bastard children. She had supposed before that it would not have mattered as Alistair did not have a family to which he claimed, other than that of the Arl whom he had denounced repeatedly as his father; she had been very much mistaken.

"I hope not. I mean, it had been made known to me from the very beginning that I had no claim to the thrown. Arl Eamon brought me here to keep me secret so no one really knows; I am not sure if Cailan was even told."

The dark-haired mage nodded in understanding. "Why tell me?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Because it could come up and I wouldn't want you to feel awkward. Can we not talk about this anymore? I did not tell you before because I don't think of myself that way and… I did not want my bloodline coloring your opinion of me." He paused. "I just want you to like who I am, not who I could be… or something like that." He turned as though to leave and she placed her hand on his arm.

"Alistair, who you are has nothing to do with parentage and knowing that your father was a king does not change my opinion of you." She smiled up at him. "I respect you because you have earned it; I like your irreverent humor and quick wit that I have yet to see sacrificed in the name of diplomacy."

He returned her smile.

"I will not regret nor pity that which resulted in you becoming a Grey Warden and helped shape you into the man you are today." She removed her hand and tilted her head. "Besides, I think you would make an excellent king." She winked and continued on.

_You confuse me as much as you most likely confuse him._

_Confuse you how?_

_I know you mean every word you have said to him, and I can agree… to a point, but I have to question your motivations._

_What do you mean by that?_

_I just wonder if you are trying to mother him or woo him._

Ariella tripped over a rock and whispered a quiet thank you to Lelianna, who had kept her from falling as a blush bloomed on her cheeks.

_I say what I mean and hope it makes him feel better. For someone so very self-assured he seems to lack a certain amount of confidence._

_Mmmhmm. _Allia anwered mockingly, winking when Ariella met her gaze.

Ariella did not respond, her blush taking its time in fading.

::AtW::

A man stopped them at the bridge, asking if they had come to help. Ariella answered that they were unaware of any news from Redcliff other than the Arl being ill. The man, who was called Thomas, told them of creatures that had been attacking the village and that there had been no news from the castle in days; it was unknown whether or not anyone in the castle was alive. He lead them to the village Chantry and to Bann Teagan, Arl Eamon's brother and the only other authority in the village aside from the Reverend Mother.

The twins were quite taken with him; he had a presence and a way of speaking that, when he turned his full attention on them, made their hearts race. Allia prompted Ariella to ask him personal questions, to know him as well as they could. He had not wanted to at first and Ariella's blush could ignite a fire when she asked again; Allia seemed most interested.

He answered her questions quickly and as concisely as possible although his demeanor changed when asked whether he had his own family. There had been a sort of knowledge in his eyes that Ariella did not quite understand as he told her he had not had the pleasure of finding a wife as yet; he followed by saying that he should be lucky to find a woman as brave, skilled, and beautiful as they. The twins had flushed again as Ariella battled against a shyness she had never felt. He asked of them, if they were married to which she had answered that they were not.

His praises and, now, apparent interest kept the blushes from fading and the twins came to a realization; they were **flirting**. It was quite the experience as the only appreciative male attention either twin had known involved the shy circling between Allia and Cullen. It was entirely possible that neither twin would recognize male interest if it were not so blatant… so bold as that of Bann Teagan. He apologized for his boldness to which Ariella replied that she, they, had not been offended.

They left the Chantry after receiving a blessing from the Revered Mother. Ariella quickly put her mind on their tasks, speaking with Murdock about what was needed, oblivious to the slightly amused gazes of their other female companions and Alistair's slight change in mood. She promised the smith to find his daughter, paid the dwarf to fight, found a child hidden in a wardrobe, and spoke with Ser Perth about barrels of oil that could be used in the defense against the undead creatures coming from the castle.

They awaited nightfall.

::AtW::

A thick mist blanketed the road to the castle, stopping just past the barricades; undead husks swarmed out of the mist, attacking any living thing in their path. Allia was every thankful that all those who were unable to defend themselves were secured in the Chantry; the sight of such creatures could be the source of nightmares for years to follow. Ariella thought the sight of such beings, although terrible, was not as terrifying as that of the darkspawn… then again, the darkspawn were living creatures while these…

No more thought was given as the oil was lit and the creatures cut down, phase after phase, after phase; no time in between to regain mana naturally, no time to fall into their normal pattern of fighting. The twins were grateful for the break in the onslaught and found they were needed in front of the Chantry; the undead were coming out of the lake.

The fight went on for hours, stamina and mana running low, not a single person wavering. They survived the night without a single casualty; Bann Teagan gifted them with a helm and asked to meet by the Windmill quickly.

The relief on his face was palpable when he noticed Isolde running down the road from the castle; he had been telling them of a secret passage to the castle that only those of his family could use. Isolde told of the evil in the castle and that she needed help to save Connor, her son, and that she was only allowed to bring him with her. The twins asked him not to go, that it was very suspicious and extremely dangerous.

He had no choice, everyone knew it although none were willing to say it. He gave Ariella his signet ring, told her to use the passageway and he would do his best to distract whatever evil had over-taken the castle long enough for them to get in and open the gate. She promised that she would save them all; that look was in his eyes again as he said he wished he had met such a woman under better circumstances… He followed Isolde, the twins watched them until they were out of sight before entering the windmill and the secret passage.

They discovered Jowan in the dungeon. Ariella was anxious and winced when he said he had been tortured… she could not argue with his fate overmuch as it was he who had poisoned Arl Eamon, by other of Teryn Loghain. He told her how he had been hired to teach Connor as the Arlessa did not want the boy to be taken to the Circle Tower; it was well known that mages were not permitted to own or inherit land.

The twins understood quickly. Connor was an untrained mage; Connor had become an abomination.

Jowan told the twins that he was tired of hiding and was willing to suffer the consequences of his actions, even if it meant his execution; he wanted to do his best to make amends. Ariella thought that it was only fair to release him and allow him the opportunity to redeem himself; especially after having freed the Qunari who had murdered an entire family, including the children.

They searched room by room, killing any undead they came across. They found the girl and told her of the secret passage and wished her luck in escaping. They fought through demons, undead, and Revenants until, at last, they found Connor, Isolde, and Teagan… who was no longer of his own mind.

The demon within Connor ordered all within its influence to attack; it did not take long for the guards to be beaten and Teagan's free will restored. Allia noticed that Connor had gone during the fighting and wandered off to find him, Ginn and Sten shadowing her.

Isolde begged on behalf of her child; stating that the demon was not always in control, that her son was still inside. Ariella refused to kill the child, there had to be another way…

And there was. Jowan stepped forward, offering to perform a ritual, using blood magic; the ritual needed the life force of an individual… which would result in their death. Ariella shook her head. She would not kill a child or sacrifice the child's mother, who was more than willing to die if it meant freeing her son. If it could be accomplished through blood magic, then there was likely to be an equivalent ritual that those from the Circle might know. There was no doubt in either of the twin's minds that Irving would hurry to assist in saving a child.

It was decided, they would leave as soon as the party regrouped.

Allia searched each room, killing the creatures that lingered still. She found a necklace that matched a description Alistair had given Ariella. Eventually, she found Connor.

They boy was himself, telling how he had come to meet the demon, begging for her to stop him before it took over and did worse things. She promised to help him; telling him not to worry. She would save him.

_We will try._

_We __**will **__succeed. _

::AtW::

Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the docks of Lake Calenhad. Anxiety prickled along her spine as she approached the Templar blocking access to the only boat that could ferry them across. This was not normal.

She searched with her eyes and her magic, trying to feel for any threat, her worry growing when her search turned up nothing. Two men were standing near the door to the Spoiled Princess with a handful more inside; no activity to warrant the intervention of the Templars…

Which could only mean the problem was not landside, but in the tower.

Carrol was very reluctant to take them across; slow to understand that the twin mages were in no mood for his attitude nor his antics. It did not take long after he noticed the electricity swirling around Allia's hand, barely controlled, as it clinched and opened. He took them over without another word.

They were met with running Templars being ordered about, preparing to seal the door off and await re-enforcements from Denerim and authorization to invoke the right of annulment; to kill any and all creatures, be they mages and Templars or abominations and demons for the Maker to sort out. Ariella **knew** many things in the moment her eyes met the Knight-Commander's; it was by the grace of gods that Allia was too preoccupied searching the faces of the surrounding Templars to pay attention.

She **knew** that Irving and Cullen were still in the tower, that they would be rescued, and… many other instances not so wonderful and comforting.

Panic built inside Allia with every word the Greagoir uttered. She could feel her sister's concern, both for those left to the abominations as well as for her.

_There are other Templars here; we can worry __**after**__ we see who made if out._

She tried, oh how she tried, to fight back the panic growing inside her, clawing its way out of the shadows of her mind. She **knew** he would not be among those who had made it to safety. It was by turns saddening and awing, this new and uncontrollable **knowledge**. She also **knew** he was alive; it was that fact that gave her hope deep within.

_Hope and faith, Allia, are what we will need._

_The First Enchanter is missing as well._

_They will be found; we will __**not**__ fail._

They searched each level, room by room after finding Wynne upholding a barrier that she had erected to protect the children and two other mages she had saved. Neither of the twins inspected the bodies, they had no want for a certainty as to whom among the fallen they had known; they did not want the sight of them in death to overshadow the memories, fond or not, that they might have of a fellow mage or apprentice. They took comfort in knowing that those they searched for were not yet lost to them.

With every room cleared, and no sign of Cullen, Allia lost more control of her panic, making it impossible for her to focus. She was quickly becoming useless and taking Ariella's abilities with her. Allia's head snapped back as she jerked into a sudden stop; Ariella had merged their minds and forced her own calm over her twin.

_If you cannot keep control of yourself I will. You are making us __**worse**__ than useless; we are becoming a __**liability**__, which is the one thing we can ill afford to be. Not if we are to live __**and**__ save the tower along with those still __**alive**__ within it._

Allia was able to see and think clearly with the forced calm of her sister holding the worst of her anxiety at bay. Their companions were injured, much more than they would normally be as she was responsible for healing; all of her spells had failed. Ariella was right; her lack of focus was likely to get them all killed.

_I am better now._

She was, mostly, having borrowed her sisters iron will and surety of purpose and outcome. She held herself together; through room after room of remains and abominations, through the trials of the Fade and the battle with the Sloth Demon within, she did not, **would** not, fall apart.

Until, finally… they found him, kneeling within a large force-field, a cage, with his head in his hands. She ran to him, his name a prayer on her lips. She fell back as the swirling energies from his prison shocked her hands, burning her slightly.

"Foul demon temptress. Taking the form of the one thing I always wanted and could never have, parading my shame, mocking my vows and all that I am. Maker knows my sin; Maker knows I repent it. BEGONE!"

Allia jerked back, eyes widening as her hands flew to her mouth. His voice held none of the patience and kindness that had made her heart flutter; her eyes held anger, hatred, terror, and just enough madness to fill her soul with dread.

Ariella moved to stand beside her twin, her stance protective as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing it would not help much at all.

"We are neither demons nor apparitions here to torment you Cullen. We have come to rid the tower of demons and abominations as well as save those who have survived within."

Cullen blinked at her. "They never thought to appear as you before…"

"That is likely due, in part, to your lack of interest in me which would make creating a decent likeness too difficult."

"BEGONE!" He screamed again.

Ariella stared at the Templar impassively noting that Allia had closed her eyes and covered her ears.

"They have never lasted through two…"

The dark-haired mage interrupted. "Again, we are real. We are not demons."

Understanding slowly crept into his eyes. Ariella nodded and began questioning him, needing to know as much as possible about what they would soon face. She listened intently, knowing they would need to move quickly; Irving and the others had been left in a horrific situation far too long. Allia however, focused on the hatred that dripped from his every word as he ordered and pled for all the mages in the Harrowing Chamber be killed; swearing that even those who look normal could have a demon lying dormant inside or be a blood mage themselves. Ariella squeezed her shoulder lightly sending her comfort, strength, and support.

"Allia will stay here and protect Cullen. Wynne, you will be responsible for healing while I interrupt the blood magic that may be used to control them with the Litany. Alistair and Lelianna, work of killing anything that looks like it needs it."

The twins eyes met and held.

_Good luck and-_

_I love you too._

Ariella ascended the stairs, trying her hardest to keep her **knowing** from her sister as she thinned their connection as much as she could to ensure her privacy. Fighting without her twin would be difficult as well as unfortunate in its necessity. She knew she could trust Wynne as the older made had seen many battles; they **would** prevail. She did not look back as she opened the door and went into battle; she did not acknowledge Cullen's _hope_ that her compassion had not doomed them all.

::AtW::

Allia stared at her hands, healing them absently with will and a thought; she had glanced into Cullen's eyes before retreating from the coldness with which he regarded her. She knew that the ordeal he had withstood must have been horrible, yet never once, since their kiss, had she thought for an instant that their love would be something easily destroyed. She had planned to see this trial, the Blight, through to the end before returning to the tower; returning to him.

"I am so sorry we did not get to you sooner. We came as quickly as we could when we realized you had not made it out of the tower…" He said nothing, his stare boring into her.

"I have missed you so…" Her voice caught and she took a breath before she could continue. "I have thought of you daily since…"

"I will not listen to this!" He interrupted. "The visions and situations I was shown I do not doubt were lies, as that is all demons are capable of.

"However," he continued as his hands clenched and released, "this whole situation made me realize more truly that otherwise possible that **mages**," the word dripped with venom, "are a danger through your very existence. Those that do not become abominations during their Harrowing can at any time and those who manage, _somehow_, not to can and **do** hurt others and abuse their power.

"We should do more than keep them locked away from everyone. We should destroy them all." The chill of his stare belied the hatred imbued in his tone.

"Cullen… I am a mage." She whispered.

"Yes, and that is something I will not forget or ignore again. You were my sin, my glaring mistake, and I will not repeat it."

Pain shot through her.

"But… I love you." Her words were strangled with her pain and shock.

His laugh was cold and humorless. "You creatures do not possess the ability to feel."

Allia rose stiffly to her feet, her eyes burning with unshed tears; her every breath a labor of will through the crushing weight on her chest. She would not bed, she would not plead; her Cullen was gone and she refused to allow the monster that remained bear witness to her tears. She buried her feelings deep within, there would be time to indulge them later, a met his eyes with her own for the first time since their conversation began.

"May the Maker smile upon you Cullen."

He did not respond though his eyes did not leave her form until the steel door to the Harrowing Chamber vanished her from his sight. The last piece of his sanity shattered with the closing of the door; a tear escaped, followed by many more. He touched the wetness on his cheek and looked at his glistening fingers in confusion; He did not know that he had just killed his heart.

::AtW::AtW::AtW::

Yes, I am leaving off there for now. I may take a day or two for another update but I will try for early in the New Year if not before.

I did not go into a lot of detail with actual game plot and quests (such as the whole Fade section of the Tower quest) so as to minimalize spoilers and because I really, **really**, hated the Fade section of the Tower Quest.

I hope you enjoyed it… as much as one can enjoy angsty Templars and hope you will continue on this journey with me.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello Hello!

Just a reminder, breaks in locations or perspective are denoted with an ::AtW::. I do not particularly like the way it looks but nothing else I tried worked (I am no HTML expert -.-).

::Disclaimer:: I do not own the rights to the Characters, Plot, Locations, etc. from Dragon Age. I do, however own the game (and expansions) and ask for clemency for the way my mind plays with the aforementioned characters, plots, locations, etc. Sometimes (not always) I cannot help it. (The other times I just don't feel like stopping it.)

Thank you for staying with me, please enjoy.

**Twin Age, Chapter Five**

Ariella stumbled, a sharp pain tearing through her chest, as she prepared to use the litany. Her free hand flew to her breast before she forced herself to remove it, expecting it to be covered in her lifeblood and death be assured…

Nothing. Her hand was clean.

She pushed herself past the pain; if she was dying, she would be damned if she died failing to protect, to save, the Circle. The pain did not lessen, although the sharpness dulled after a time. It was not until she saw her twin enter the room, face devoid of all thought and feeling, that Ariella understood the source of the pain.

Allia joined the fray with single-minded intensity. She healed the others absentmindedly; her main focus on damaging nature spells. She wanted to hurt something, finding it fitting that she could avenge her hurt and betrayal on the very things that had brought it into being. If only in defeating the terrible evils before her, she would succeed in changing his mind, turning his heart, reviving the sweet and loving man she had been forced to leave all those weeks ago. It had not yet been a full month.

Fair weather friends and lovers, she thought bitterly as she hurriedly drank yet another lyrium potion, are all this world has offered me.

_I am here. We will get through this._

Allia faltered; ensnared as she had been in her anger and self-pity she had forgotten all about how this would be affecting her sister. She returned to the task at hand, no longer fighting to punish now fighting to end it quickly; they had never been able to fully buffer the way emotions were shared. It was as though they were supposed to know, and experience for themselves, exactly what the other felt; it was likely the result of this that there had never been anything that could come between them. It would hurt the one that caused the other to suffer.

_If only the whole world could feel the pain and suffering they all seem determined to inflict on one another. Maybe then people as a whole would have some empathy._

_Maybe, although you know that not all people __**want**__ to hurt others; we have hurt people, either through necessity or through our own lack of understanding._

Allia understood as images of Jowan and Greagoir flickered through her mind. She exhaled sharply as the pain stabbed through her chest afresh. She would not think on it, not until the fighting was over and they were well away from the tower. She shook her head, attempting to dispel the sadness that had been creeping through her mind as a slow realization; separate from the anger, the heartbreak, from the loss of love and her own disillusionment was a quiet, slow, understanding. After this night, they would not return to this place unless necessary; the home they had once known was forever lost to them.

Uldred fell, Allia hitting the abomination with a fireball as Ariella sent electricity into his charred husk. The thing that had once been a blood mage exhaled his last breath as the stench of burning meat and hair rose on the smoke, joining a collection of horrific images that the twins would forever associate with that smell.

Ariella went to her twin, stepping neatly over the remains of the abominations that separated them. They clasped hands as Allia rested her forehead against that of her twin. They strengthened the link, nearly merging their minds; Ariella resisted when Allia tried to thin the connected, the pain making itself known once more. They opened their eyes, blue-green and emerald gazes meeting, holding.

_There are things that we can never keep from one another even when we most would want to. There are things we will always have to share, despite the pain it could cause and the want of privacy or protection. _Ariella thought, her understanding and support radiating through their minds. _It may be invasive but it is unavoidable._

_It means that, barring death, we will never truly be alone._

Ariella smiled and lifted her forehead, ebony tendrils framing her face, having escaped from the braids sometime during their quest. _I will share this pain with you as I am sure you will share mine with me should I love and lose as you have._

Their hands tightened before they released the hold and stepped away from each other. They could not hide or really suppress the way the emotions were shared between them, not like they could with physical sensations; trying could cause much more harm than good.

Ariella could not take the pain away from her sister but she could share it; she could feel as she felt and understand her sister as no other, it was all that she could offer aside from her love and support.

Wynne watched the two curiously. She had spoken with the First Enchanter about the twins once she had returned to the tower after the loss at Ostagar. What he had shared with her had peaked her interest although she sincerely doubted that either Irving or Greagoir had been aware of the affections one of the twins had held for a Templar.

She had observed the twins as they had meticulously made their way up the tower; noticing Ariella's determination and thoroughness as she made sure they cleared each and every room before moving on to the next level. Allia she had watched slowly come apart at the seams, distracted as she was quickly becoming a liability. She had not been able to keep the surprise and interest from her face as the light haired twin had suddenly stopped.

The older mage had felt with her inner senses, trying to determine what magic was afoot; there was none to be found and yet… Allia's eyes had shown that she was not alone in her mind; that she had not stopped so suddenly of her own violation. She had recalled that Irving had said, with complete assurance, that the twins shared such a connection that they were able to communicate with one another silently; a shiver had gone down her spine as she realized that it was a much more substantial connection than anyone could anticipate.

Still, knowing and understanding was not the same thing. Ariella had won her respect, and more than a little admiration, with the way she had carried herself, had fought so skillfully, and refused to sacrifice an innocent to insure no blood mage survived. Allia… she would see; even when she had taught them as apprentices she had not known what to make of the quiet one.

It seemed that she had made a decision she had not been conscious of; she would join their group, Irving and the Grey Wardens willing, and know them better. She had this strange feeling that these were people to follow; people you could put your faith and trust in, people who would never ask for more than could be given, people she would willingly give her life in order to accomplish their cause. Wynne's spirit rose, she had not felt such purpose in such a very long time.

Maybe this was why… she did not finish the thought as she followed the twins from the Harrowing Chamber.

::AtW::

Ariella sought out Cullen's eyes as they exited the chamber. She knew he had had time to descend the stairs; she had a feeling he would be waiting to see if she had suffered a potential blood mage to live. His gaze did not leave hers as his eyes narrowed in understanding.

"I hope you're misplaced sense of compassion has not doomed us all."

She gestured for the rest of them to continue on as she stepped in front of the Templar. She did not notice Alistair's hesitation and ignored her twin's desolation; there were many things that she wanted to say. She nodded when her sister thought, urgently, that she and the others would wait on the other side of the door, maybe even at the bottom of the stairs.

The dark haired elf waited until the door closed behind the rest of her party, her green eyes never leaving Cullen's. A flicker of unease weaved its way through the hatred in his gaze. Part of her was well aware that nothing she would have to say would change anything. Still, if nothing else could be done she would not leave without trying.

"If you cannot put your anger and hatred aside, you will lose all that you are and all you stand for." She said, her voice steady, unwaivering.

Rage radiated from him. Ariella was silently glad that Allia was not listening, that she refused to witness this. She saw the decision in his eyes before his gauntlet covered hand came at her throat, her power flared and not even his Templar armor could dispel it as it held his hand an inch from her skin. The emerald green of her eyes sparkled with magic as he tried to close that inch of space. There was no doubt in her mind that he was willing to kill her.

"Demon bitch." He spat and lowered his hand. She arched an eyebrow and shook her head.

"If you make any other attempt to harm myself, or my sister, I will find a way to disarm you. Permanently." Her eyes matched the promise of her tone. "I understand hatred towards that which you fear, but blinding yourself to the individuals, to the **people**, will accomplish nothing except making you a greater monster than any blood mage you fear."

She turned and left, not bothering to protect her back. The memory of her Harrowing played through his mind, rooting him to the spot. The First Enchanter had not been able to summon a demon into their minds. He rejected the implications; any mage is a danger, all mages should be destroyed. If that one could stop his magic resistant armor then she was the most dangerous of all. He would talk with Greagoir, his Knight-Commander would understand and do what was necessary.

He was sure of it.

::AtW::

Alistair's eyes kept sliding between the mages. Something was wrong, he knew it and he was fairly sure it had to do with the tortured Templar they had left at the top of the stairs. Not that the fella wasn't catching up fairly quickly, seemed determined to pass them and get out of the tower; not that he could blame him really and Alistair was far more comfortable with the idea of the guy ahead of them than behind them… something about the man had the male Grey Warden itching to reach for his sword.

He could feel the other man's mal-intent toward the mages in his group; Alistair supposed that if blood mages had turned his friends into abominations before or while torturing him he might be able to see where the guy was coming from. Still, it did not seem fair to want to harm those that rescued you; it was wrong even.

He relaxed a little once the man had passed them and continued on at a fast pace. Alistair puzzled over Allia's tensing until the Templar had made it far enough ahead that he was no longer in sight but figured it was none of his business and probably did not want to know. He relaxed further when they reached the area just before the main doors, reuniting with the rest of the group that had been left behind to protect the children; both from the abominations, demons, and possessed Templars as well as the Templars at their back who might have received the Right of Annulment to begin killing anyone left alive within the tower.

Alistair met Morrigan's gazw and toyed with the idea of exposing her to the Templars once they escorted the First Enchanter out. He decided not, as if it were wrong for the tortured Templar to wish harm on the mages who saved him, it would be wrong for Alistair to do the same. He was not a hypocrite. Well… most of the time.

Ariella did not remove her gaze from Knight-Commander Greagoir as Cullen demanded that the First Enchanter Irving and all others be terminated or imprisoned as they could be blood mages or abominations in disguise. Greagoir said that he trusted Irving's assessment of the situation before reminding Cullen who was the Knight-Commander. She waited for his attention to return to her before speaking.

"The Templar Cullen has undergone extensive torture from those that he has sworn to protect, as well as protect others from." She began, meeting his eyes. "It is my belief that his opinion of mages has twisted and that he would sooner harm us than protect us."

Greagoir turned to look at Cullen, whose rage and anger radiated from his eyes. "Is this true Cullen?"

The Templar's cinnamon eyes promised many things, all of them unpleasant. "I see mages for what they truly are; abominations waiting to happen. None but a mage can be seduced by demons, none but a mage can cause as much damage as this. They are a threat to everyone, more than just themselves and we should treat them accordingly."

A sound escaped from deep within Allia's throat. The Knight-Commander shook his head sadly and looked to Ariella. "He is a Templar and he will continue to do his duty."

She straightened her spine, her resolution and certainty making her seem much taller than she was. There was a knowledge in her eyes that would haunt the Knight-Commander till the end of his days; he saw his failure in her eyes, heard it in her voice as she spoke.

"If the Templar Cullen is unable to come to terms with what has happened here, he **will** cause harm to come to mages. The very same mages you both have sworn to protect." Her eyes never wavered and Greagoir found himself wanting to take a step back, to hide from her gaze. "If, " He knew she meant when, "this comes to pass, I, and all mages who bear witness today, will hold both you and the Templar Cullen responsible."

She bowed her head. "I thank you for the offer of assistance you gave in the event that we cleared the tower; however, your resources will be needed to help rebuild and **protect** those left in your care. I appreciate the support you can give to the Circle mages who pledge their assistance in ending the Blight. May the Maker smile upon you."

The Knight-Commander stood stiffly and nodded his acknowledgement and dismissal. His eyes drifted to Cullen and he sighed at the violent promise on the younger man's face as he watched the twin mages speak with Irving.

Irving had agreed readily to gathering what mages he could and joining them at Redcliff Castle to help the boy, Connor. They were also given an ambassador to Circle that would travel with them, although they would always stay at the camp.

Allia fought the wave upon wave of grief that seemed determined to wash over her. She wanted so much to yell, to scream, to find a way to release all the feelings that were building inside her. Her throat had closed from the effort to keep it all contained, to refuse her tears. She was no longer blinded to the affect she was having on her sister and she was grateful, validated even, in the knowledge that **someone** knew what she was going through and could understand.

No one had asked her what had happened when she had been left behind with the Templar. She had not expected them to, or at least, she knew they would not ask her. She had heard Alistair say that he thought that she was mute prior to the Tower, her sister had shaken her head and said no, she is just very shy. She ignored the conversation after that, her thoughts running in circles, the hole in her heart threatening to expand and consume her.

No. She would not break, not over the barbed words and loss of dreams. She looked to the sky as they walked, knowing they would make camp soon, and made a promise to her sister and herself. She would do all she could to overcome her shyness; she would do all she could to support her sister as she had supported her.

She could not wait until she could find some privacy, to stop fighting the storm raging within her. It was not the time, it was not the place. Not yet.

Maker help her but she hoped it were soon.

::AtW::

They arrived in Redcliff in the hours just before noon, having broken camp at first light. Ariella felt the urgency and hoped that the mages, having fewer companions, would be there by the time her group arrived. She knew that there were many options as to who could go into the Fade and save Connor from the demon.

She also felt that it should be either herself and Allia, or Jowan. Offering to perform blood magic, killing the child's mother in the process, was not her idea of atoning for his past deeds. If anyone's life should have been sacrificed to save the child, it should have been the life of the person who brought this situation onto the child. Ariella realized then just what she had been thinking; she did not like it.

Jowan had been her friend, and she had betrayed him. He had betrayed her as well, but it was possible that she would not have known what he was had she not went to Irving and told of the plan to escape. She had pondered that for nights afterward, Allia was the one who had told her that nothing would have changed; they would have been caught regardless and Jowan's choices were, and would forever be, his own. Still…

She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind of such thoughts. It was not, never would be, her place to judge others. She had been talking with Morrigan in camp and agreed about many things; although she wondered why it was so surprising to the apostate. Ariella believed that the Circle had its uses, but that the way it was run had little to do with the training and welfare of the mages and more to do with politics and assuaging the fear people had of them.

Certain magics were dangerous, all magics could be abused. It made no sense to illuminate the teaching, to weed out the knowledge, of some magic because it could be dangerous if in the wrong hands. She thought that doing so only enabled those that would abuse it and lack of knowledge could cause harm to those who encounter it. Ignorance is rarely the correct answer.

Allia had grudgingly agreed that Morrigan was not evil or necessarily a bad person. Allia was more inclined to agree with the Witch of the Wild's assessment of most situations than Ariella. Morrigan and Sten were the pictures of efficiency; they found certain things, most everything Ariella was inclined to do, to be a waste of time and effort. Allia could understand their stance, even if she could not bring herself to agree with the loss of life that could result in expediency.

_Who shall go into the Fade? Us or Jowan?_

_We shall go. I promised Connor that we would save him. I would not want to leave something this important to an untried mage._

Ariella agreed. _Then it is decided._

The First Enchanter and an assembly of mages had arrived shortly before them. They were preparing the ritual and when the twins stated that they would go Irving had shook his head and told them there was not enough lyrium to send two mages into the Fade. Ariella knew then who should go.

"Then it will be Allia."

The light haired mage moved into the center of the circle. Nothing needed to be said, they already knew, still…

_Luck be with you and I will be waiting._

Allia smiled at her twin before she stiffened, her mind in the Fade.

Irving and Wynne watched Ariella curiously before becoming more and more concerned. Ariella swayed on her feet; she could see and hear Allia in the Fade, it was like she was there and… not. She closed her eyes, hoping that not having to see the separate realities would help. It did not, not really, it was so hard to focus on the people around her when it felt as though she were right there with her sister. Fighting desire demons.

Ariella opened her eyes, trying in vain to focus on… anything. Alistair was talking to her, but she could not hear him. Wynne touched her forehead and saw… so very strange. Ariella noticed that her awareness was interfering with Allia's concentration so she did the only thing she thought would help; she closed her eyes and merged her conscious with her sisters.

It was the final demon, Allia was sure of it. This one was the one who had made the compact with the boy, had done such horrible things…

"There is no need for us to fight, this need not end in violence." It said, running its hands over its body suggestively.

"What do you mean?" Allia asked, her staff ready in her hand.

"We could make a deal, a contract if you will, and I will leave the boy alone. If you're smart, you could even win."

"There is nothing you could offer me."

The demon smiled. "There is much I can offer." It said and laughed. "The lovely Templar who thought so much of you. I can make him love you once more, I can make him forget this anger and hatred he now feels for your kind."

Allia's heart beat faster. "What would you want in exchange?"

The thing smiled and rubbed itself more. "You."

Was it worth it?

_No._ She felt it slip through her mind. _It would be a lie; she would trick you into believing she had done as promised and continue with her plan. _Still, she would be happy… right? _Do you really want a man who would turn his back on you so easily? Would you be able to live with yourself knowing you have become the very thing he hates, making his assumption of you, of all mages, true._

No. It was not worth it.

"I will see you dead, demon."

"Not if I kill you first."

Alistair caught Ariella as she collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap. The strain of being in both realities had been too much. Blood trickled from her nose and Alistair, being the strong and independent warrior he was, panicked.

Wynne checked her over and found nothing wrong but exhaustion. Alistair was appeased… for the moment, after it was pointed out that her breathing was even and her pulse was strong. He lifted her into his arms noting absently that Sten had done the same with Allia; the ritual was complete, the boy had been saved, and he hadn't noticed.

They carried the twins to the second story, where Bann Teagan told them to lay them in a room. The First Enchanter declared the boy free of the demon's control, Connor's mother rushed to her son with tears of relief running freely down her face. Before he left, Irving requested Wynne to tell Allia that he was proud of them and to tell them both… that it would be unwise for the two to attempt such a thing again.

Alistair cleaned the blood from Ariella's face, marveling to himself. Sten watched from the doorway, his presence making it clear to the Warden that he was not going to leave without him. He was fairly sure he should be insulted by the implications but decided that the twins would probably appreciate the gesture. He did not think he would much enjoy being left alone in a room with only Morrigan to tend to him… there was no saying what new and interesting wounds or… additions… he would wake with.

As he stood to leave, he noticed the mages hands were once again touching. He wondered on it and shook his head. Maybe it was a comfort thing, he certainly would not mind sleeping with Ariella's hand in his either.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello hello!

Here I am once again, bringing before you the fruits (be they delicious or unpalatable) of my imaginings and of my time.

It is horribly demoralizing methinks, to have so many reads and so few reviews. Do I require them to continue? No, but it would let me know that my attempts are appreciated. ::shrug:: It does not help that the website allows me to monitor all of my stories popularity (or lack thereof).

I am not sure as to how quickly additional chapters will be posted; a majority of the first few had already been written in my handy-dandy composition notebook. I know where this is going, it is the details in between that take some time. Still, I will endeavor to be consistent with at least a chapter a week. If you are interested, just keep checking (or add the story to your alerts list).

This Chapter does have a few lyrics to the song Cry by Kelley Clarkson, I don't own them either.

::Disclaimer:: Not mine. Would be nice if I had thought of it first though. ::tear::

On with the story!

**Twin Age, Chapter Six**

Allia awoke alone in an unfamiliar bedroom, blinking confusedly at the canopy. She sat up slowly, wondering why, or better yet how, she had ended up in a bed. She remembered defeating the demon before everything had gone black…

She sighed as she wished that she did not pass out every time she left the Fade; even in the Tower… She closed her eyes and willed the thoughts away. She heard voices outside the door, recognizing the tones of Alistair, Sten, and her twin. She needed… oh, Maker, she needed to…

She breathed slowly, purposefully, as her hands gripped the bedspread painfully. She needed space, she needed air. She needed one Marker-forsaken span of time where she could relax her will and finally just… cry. Grieve what she had lost, what she had only just begun to realize she had never really had. She relaxed her hands and opened her eyes. She was not going to break, not yet.

She heard Ariella telling the men in their group that she would awaken and join them soon enough and that Sten could wait for her in a more open area. Any woman would be greatly embarrassed to wake and find that someone had been outside waiting… as she thought about it, Allia decided it was unnecessary and more than a little awkward.

She listened as the footsteps faded away before she jumped off the bed. She remembered a balcony not far that she had passed during her exploration of the upper level. It had been in one of the other guest rooms, off to one side through a strange partition. She ran to it, her hair unraveling the rest of the way; thankful that no one had seen her, no one knew she was there.

She collapsed in a broken heap just before the stone railing. She was drowning in her pain, in her sorrow; she did not notice the rain.

::Is it over yet?

Can I open my eyes?::

The rain pelted her from all sides, soaking its way through her robe, chilling her to the soul. Water streamed down her face, washing away the tracks of her tears. Her heart beat frantically within her chest, the rhythm uneven, stabbing through each pulse. She gasped for each breath, her throat constricted, the weight on her chest unrelenting through her slow suffocation.

::Is this as hard as it gets?::

Her eyes stared blindly ahead, closing every so often when the wind blew stinging rain into her face. Her sobs racked her frame, a strange keening, resonated from deep within. Should she move? Should she care? Would it make any difference either way?

No.

It would change nothing.

She closed her eyes and let the bottled emotions free.

::Is this what it feels like

To **really** cry::

::AtW::

Bann Teagan had spoken with Ariella and Alistair; the Arl was… stable, although nothing they did seemed to have any effect. If they could not wake him, he would die. They all knew that unless the Urn of Sacred Ashes were found, Eamon had no chance and all that Connor and Redcliff had gone through would have been… pointless. A waste.

He had gone to his room to collect all of the research that had been gathered on the Urn, more for expositions sake and general information than anything else; more information, specifically concerning the location of the Urn, could only be garnered from Brother Genitivi. He paused by his desk, listening.

There is was again, under the sound of the rain. It sounded like a wounded animal. His assumptions had not prepared him for the sight that met him.

She was lying on the cold stone, her hair a river of white gold flowing down her back; a shimmering pool against the grey surface. Her robe clung to her every curve and plane due to the weight of the rain. He could not see her face, had no notion of the reason for her tears; something called to him, urging him to take her into his arms and protect her from her hurt. To comfort her.

So he did.

She jumped at his touch, her blue-green eyes, so full of grief and despair, met his briefly. She tried to move away from him, thinking, through the pain and embarrassment, that she wanted to get away, far away from the understanding in his eyes. He could not know… the only one who did was Ariella.

Maybe Teagan did not know what wound brought her to that state, but he knew what it was to hurt. He had lived long enough to understand the different kinds of pain.

He lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. He tightened his hold against her feeble struggles, part of him knowing that she needed him. He sat on the edge of his bed, settling her on his lap as he rocked her gently.

"Just let it out." He whispered as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. "You do not have to tell me anything if you do not want to; just know… that I am here and I am willing to listen."

Her body shook with the force of her sobs and the cold. She pressed her face against his chest and clutched is hand in hers, almost clawing at his shirt. After a time, the strength of the tears lessened, soothed away by Teagan's gentile murmurs and swaying comfort; she could not remember a time when she had been held in such a way, only ever having her sister to sooth away the hurt and fear. Which was hard to do when they were shared.

She rubbed her tear stained cheek along the planes of his chest as her breathing stuttered and worked its way back into its normal rhythm. She felt his chin on her head and his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back; she thought whimsically that one day he would make a wonderful husband and father. She closed her eyes and eased her grip on his arm before slowly telling him everything.

He listened to her tale of life in the tower, of having no one to talk to, to trust, other than her sister. She told of the constant scrutiny and the affection- and attraction- that had bloomed so lovely and forbidden within its walls. He listened to her talk of her grand plans that she had learned were nothing but the hopes and dreams of a naïve young woman. His eyes glinted with cold anger as she whispered, the hurt and astonishment coloring her tone, what her misbegotten love had said to her. She had wondered aloud, lost and forlornly, whether what her Cullen had said was true; were they all evil things that needed to be destroyed for the safety of others.

He leaned back, tilting her head up as he moved, capturing her gaze with his. Something lurked behind his eyes that she had no words for but spread a pool of warmth in her chest a stomach; her heart-rate increased though she did not know why.

"I cannot remove his words from your memory, nor can I excuse such carelessness even in a man who has lost himself." His thumb brushed away the remnants of tears from the cheek that had not rested against him. "All I can do is hope my words will stay as fresh in your mind, if not more so.

Every person in this world has the capacity to cause great harm and the opportunity to do great good; being a mage, or a warrior, or rouge does not make a person more likely or easily swayed to go one way or another. It is up to each person to be what they will, and you my dear are one of the purest souls I have ever met."

She searched his eyes, still seeing that which she could not name but no trace of falsehood or appeasement. Her smile could have lit the room and fanned that which lurked behind his eyes. Her heart-beat went wild as the warmth deep in her belly tightened. She may not have known desire when she saw it, but he knew it as it was reflected in her blue-green gaze. Her innocence was so lovely, her trust so complete, that he never wanted to see them so close to tainted again.

He pushed her hair back over her shoulder, his fingers running through the silk strands. He kissed her forehead softly before helping her to her feet. Her eyes were wide and a blush stole across her cheeks. Teagan kept his breathing steady and the strength of his want out of his eyes, although they heated as they traveled over her body; nothing was hidden although it was fully covered by her soaked robes.

His smile was slow, warm, and slightly predatory. "I am going to change before I catch a chill from the wet, you should do the same."

She nodded quickly and made for the door. His voice stopped her just before she exited.

"Please believe me when I say that you… are one of the loveliest women I have ever known and this boy of yours," boy held a tint of disdain, "is very much a fool to have not seen it."

Allia glanced back at him, seeing him standing by the bed imprinted on her mind. She left quickly, unsure of what to say, if she should have said anything, as her breathing had become irregular and a strange tingling had traveled her spine. She knew that Ariella had placed a fresh robe in the room she had awoken in. Her mind was in chaos although she was beginning to think her body knew something she was not aware of. Still, the pain in her heart had dulled to an ache; it was there, and she knew she would grieve for a time longer.

She knew now that it would not hurt forever, that her heart would mend in time. For now… for the time until then, she would puzzle over the look in Teagan's eyes and try to forgive Cullen for not being strong enough. She would try to forgive herself as well, for needing more from the Templar than he could ever be willing… or able, to give.

::AtW::

Ariella tried her best to give her twin the privacy she knew was desperately needed. She had led the two men of their group down the stairs and into the common areas. She busied herself with inventory; sorting through what they had accumulated and giving upgraded weapons and armor to those who could use it before setting the discards aside to sell as soon as they found a merchant. She could most likely carry it all until they made camp; there she could trade with the dwarves that sought her protection at nightfall.

She had thinned the connection with her sister as much as she dared; not because the wave upon wave of grief, pain, and loss that lapped at the back of her mind, but because she knew that this was something her twin would like to keep to herself. The conflicting thoughts that Allia did not know she was sharing were enough to make Ariella thankful they were not completely of one mind; if their confusion were combined… she was not sure they would be able to stay sane.

She listened to the muffled music of rain on stone. All at once she was excited and full of energy; they had never been able to feel the rain on their shin in the Tower… the most she had ever done was watch it fall in its various forms to the lake below. She almost ran to the outer doors, wanting to feel the rain on her skin for the first time. Alistair and Ginn followed, slightly confused and a bit concerned at the mage's apparent lack of patience… and really, what else did they have to do?

Ariella dashed into the courtyard, Ginn trotting along behind her, and threw her arms out, spinning circled as she laughed in the rain. A smile bloomed on Alistair's face and he thought once more how lovely and innocent the elven mage tended to be; how open and honest throughout it.

His fingers traced only petals that had reminded him of her as he leaned against the cool stone and watched the beauty play tag with the beast. He knew that this would be a memory to cherish; a memory to bring to mind through all of the hardship, the doubt, the inevitable pain. His smile widened when the warrior dog 'accidentally' nudged her too hard and she fell to the ground; which was usually hard-packed dirt… usually.

Her giggles and surrender sounded through the otherwise abandoned courtyard and Alistair's heart sped up in response. Nerves frayed and he strengthened his will. There was no better time than the present, right? Or was it, there may not be any other time than the present? Either way, he prayed to the maker it would not blow up in his face… or be something **she** joked about later. Joking was his gig after all.

Ariella wiped her hands on her soiled robe and shot a not so happy look at the mabari; it did not seem to faze Ginn, in fact, she would almost say he looked pleased with himself. She glared at the hound harder.

Her smiled brightened when she noticed Alistair still standing near the doors. She practically skipped up to him, her mind alight with different thoughts and potential plans of attack… nothing could be better than having two Ariella sized hand prints on your armor right? She was pretty sure she could outrun him… if it came to that.

"You could have saved me you know." She said with a slight pout. He raised an eyebrow.

"And face the wrath of such a fearsome creature as our Ginn? I think not." He shuddered for effect. "Dragons, darkspawn, and arch demons- okay; Ginn?... No way."

Her laugh came as a surprise and she decided against any half-baked ideas of attack. There would be other opportunities… she hoped. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the rain fall on her face. It was a strange sensation, cleansing almost.

"You've got something…" Alistair said and she felt his hand on her face. She opened her eyes; her surprised gaze meeting his as his thumb attempted to brush away a bit of mud on her cheek. Unfortunately it just smeared it a bit more.

He cleared his throat, dropped his hands, and looked away in embarrassment. She blinked at him, a little confused. He cursed himself in his mind and gathered his will again. It couldn't go any worse than that could it? Nah.

He raised his other hand, letting her see what it held. "Here. See this? Do you know that this is?"

She blinked again at what had just been thrust into her hands. "It's a rose."

He took a deep breath. "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with such despair and ugliness'." He looked down at his hands before meeting her gaze. "I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So I've had it ever since."

Arielle looked at the flower in her hands. It was a perfect specimen, the only one of its kind she had ever had the opportunity to touch or smell. "That is a lovely thought." She said as she lifted its petals to her nose.

"I thought I might… give it to you, actually." She lifted her eyes back to his. "In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you."

She blushed and looked away. "I… do not know what to say."

"I guess it is a bit silly, isn't it? I just thought… here I am doing all this complaining and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself." He silently kicked himself, it was not coming out the way he thought it should… still, blushing is good. Right? He turned away from her a bit. "You've had none of the good experiences with being a Grey Warden. Not a single thank you or congratulations; it's all been death and fighting and tragedy."

Ariella's confusion resurfaced. She had thought maybe… but apparently not. Should she comfort him? Or was he apologizing for having needed comfort? Marker but she had no idea what to make of it.

"I thought I could say something," He continued, "Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find in all this… darkness." Her smile returned and her eyes softened.

"I feel the same way about you." And she did, she was sure if he were any other person that she would have a much harder time being in charge. Or just… being there, being a Grey Warden and saving Fereldan.

"I'm glad you like it…" He cleared his throat and gave her his joker's smile. "Now if we could just move past this awkward embarrassing part and onto the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it."

Her smiled widened and she replied with a wink. "Sure."

The storm inside him stilled. She had just given him permission. Should he ask if she meant it? Would it just embarrass them more to confirm it? Well… "Okay then." He said right before he lifted her face and lowered his mouth to hers.

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest and she froze for a moment, unsure what to do. The gentle pressure of his lips on hers set shivers down her spine as her hands rose to rest on his forearms. Her eyes fluttered shut and she returned the kiss; feeling the sweetness of it first-hand.

He eased her out of the kiss and pulled away from her slowly. His ego swelled as her eyes opened slowly but were still unfocused. He wanted to ask if it had been too soon, if he had ruined everything. But he did not ask, he didn't really want to know the answer, especially if it would tarnish the memory of that shared moment in time.

"But… you should really go find a change of clothes or something. People are going to thing you are some crazy old hermit or something, with all that mud."

She blinked until her eyes cleared… and narrowed. Well, mud attack it would be then.

Two muddy handprints, a good run, lucky trip, and two very muddy Wardens later the argument became not who was muddiest, but who would be responsible for the wash. 'Not it', was not the correct answer as more mud proved.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello hello!

I realize I have taken much longer to update than promised… I could list any number of reasons or excuses but they change nothing and you may come to hate me for whining. Most people who know me have said much the same… I am a bit of a complainer upon occasion.

I will say that I have been writing… part of the problem is that it isn't exactly in order and sometimes I have a bit of a problem getting from point E to (somewhere around) point L or so. It is just that some scenes and plot points beg, almost literally… or kind of in a writing sort of way, to be written and I just cannot return to where I paused until I get it down.

I beg your forgiveness and hope you enjoy the update… I hope to post the next part quickly.

::Disclaimer:: Seriously… I wish. Sometimes anyway.

::AtW::

**Twin Age: Chapter 7**

Allia walked slightly behind her sister as they made their way to Denerim. She resisted rubbing her hand over the constant ache in her chest; the pain had faded, was manageable, but still reminded her of what was gone, what was lost, and, she finally realized, what was never really hers to begin with. She put a little more effort into keeping their connection thin; part of her worried that they were damaging their relationship to the point of no return.

She pushed those thoughts from her mind, wrapping herself in the empty knowledge that she was **right**. Ariella would realize it sooner or later; it was really only a matter of time.

***After her… session… with Teagan, Allia had rushed to her room to change, hoping to make it without anyone seeing her. Ariella was there, as soaked as she but with a lot more… well, mud. Allia had taken one look at her twin and burst out laughing, the lingering weight on her mind dissipating in her mirth; everything would be okay.

They shared, through their link, the events of the last hour or so as guard carried in a large bathing tub and filled it with steaming water; the one thing they had missed most since leaving the tower, aside from the obvious, was a warm bath. True they could possibly be able to heat a body of water, as they could call fire, but somehow they both thought it might harm and living creatures in a lake or river or stream. By the time their stories were finished their identical features wore identical blushes and looks of confusion.

_I am glad Teagan was able to comfort you. _Ariella insisted as she stripped out of her soiled clothing behind the screen.

_Thank you for letting me have… time. I would apologize for causing you discomfort, as feelings are hard to buffer; but it seems the rain and Alistair distracted you from it very well._

Ariella scowled. _I honestly did not know… I would never have thought that Alistair had come to see me as a romantic prospect. I am not sure what to do about it._

Allia's brow furrowed as well, unsure how she felt about her sister having a suitor. _I think you should tell him you are not interested… it would only be a matter of time before he decided that we are some sort of evil being; he was raised by the Chantry after all._

The dark haired mage fought off the surge of anger; Allia had never been one to judge so harshly. Or so she told herself. _Alistair was with us as we fought our way through the tower. If he were going to decide that all mages were nothing more than abominations in disguise, I am sure it would not have manifested in the presentation of a rose and a kiss._

_The only reason he is not guarding the mages in the tower or hunting apostates or maleficarum is through Duncan's intervention._

_It is possible Alistair would have found another way to avoid becoming a Templar. It is not something he seems to regret; not all those who are given to the Chantry are able to just walk away, especially not when they were given a child to raise, feed, clothe, and shelter. Serving the Chantry in adulthood would only be the proper way to repay such kindness._

Allia's thoughts whorled around in her mind, frustration fueling them. Why would she not just **listen**. _It is a belief they had instilled and reinforced. He may not think he believes it, he may even convince himself that you are somehow different. But it will not last. Eventually, he will attempt to crush you with the weight of it. _

Ariella could not believe it. How in Thedas could she actually believe that what is true for one person will be true for all others of similar upbringing or circumstance. _Alistair is __**not**__ Cullen. He deserves to be judges by his own merits and failings. So far, I would have to say that he is a kind and decent man with his own mind._

_Fine! _Allia practically spat through their link, the anger flavoring the resonance. _Put him on some sort of pedestal; believe him of not being one to make rash or false judgments of others due to his upbringing. Lie to yourself every time he speaks of Morrigan with such disdain; because it is so very obvious that he took the time to judge her by __**her**__ merits. I just wanted to caution you, to let you see me as an example, for you to learn from my mistakes._

Tears streamed down their cheeks, unseen by the other.

_Allia please…_

_No. Believe what you will, do what you will. I will have none of it; I have no need for consorting with fools._ ***

There had not been a word uttered between them since; not in any form. Allia ignored any twinges of remorse. She was **not** in the wrong. She just wished her twin would stop being so stubborn… there was no purpose if acting in such a way. No person should be able to cause such a rift. She disregarded the niggling feeling in the back of her mind that the rift was begun and sustained by them both.

How they had come to such a misunderstanding, a miscommunication, while being so closely tied was a mystery to them both. Maintaining the distance between them had quickly become a labor of pride.

Allia and Ariella stopped, having scanned the road and noted an elfroot; the _knowing_ was instantaneous. The group stopped as well, a few glancing at Ariella curiously; she still marveled at her being the leader of this interesting collection of abilities, affinities, and personalities. She whose main interpersonal contact would have nothing to do with her…

She had not tried to talk with her since that afternoon, and she would not be the first to initiate this conversation. The dark haired mage had done everything she could think of to comfort her twin in her time of need; had been her strength, her voice, **anything** her sister had needed of her she had been. In that last fateful conversation, Ariella had even pleaded for understanding. She would not ask again for something she felt she should have had in the first place.

She turned her attention to the group, her gaze meeting each person's in turn as she spoke. "There is an ambush ahead.

"A lady will beg help of us and lead us into a trap lead by assassins. It will be… difficult. Lilianna, I would like you to take some time to prepare some poisons and traps that we can lay; Timing will be tricky and once the traps are set I want you to go into archery mode. We will need to utilize a balance of long and close distance fighting.

"Wynne, you and Allia will have to alternate between healing and attacking… please keep appraised of our warriors' health. Use our lyrium and health potions as needed, we have plenty and the others may not have time to use some for themselves.

"Morrigan and I will be on the offensive as we have a few powerful long-range spells that would be to our advantage.

"Alistair, Sten, and Ginn, I trust that you will be able to play to your strengths and do what you do best. We only need one alive for questioning." The twins _knew_ the one who lived would be joining their group… Ariella did not think that providing the entire group with that information would be helpful for their mindset and would lead to questions she was either unwilling or unable to answer.

Her eyes skimmed quickly over her twin, as the party nodded their assent. "Any suggestions you may have are always welcome." No one moved to speak. "Then we will wait for Lilianna to assemble the traps and poisons. I will signal when it is time to lay them." Lilianna smiled and rummaged through her pack for the necessary supplies.

Ariella looked to Alistair. "I need to speak with you privately; Warden business." She said and walked a little away from the group, trusting the male Warden to follow.

Wynne watched the pair with interest before turning her attention to the light haired elf who seemed to be watching Lilianna work. She knew Allia was very well read, both of the twins were, but was sure the elf had had limited information on traps and poisons in the tower. The Templars did not want more dangerous information in the mage's hands… not when they considered the mages a danger in and of themselves.

"Should you not be with them? You are a Warden, are you not?" Morrigan asked, perhaps a bit more bluntly than she would have were she speaking with Ariella. She was not sure where this other mage stood in the grand scheme of things and she did not believe that twins were so very much the same that her slowly growing… relationship with the other applied to Allia as well.

Allia flushed and arched an eyebrow. This was the beginning. She had promised herself that she would not hide behind her sister; she would not allow her shy disposition to run her life. Still… it was so very hard to force the words out… "I… already know what she would like to tell him." She met the apostate's golden gaze. "It does not take two to say." She returned her attention to the rouge, hoping she had not missed too much of the process and secretly proud of herself. It would be slow going, but she was strong in her own right. Right?

Morrigan kept her own council, it was one of the things she did best really. She knew she had been dismissed and really could not bring herself to care. Her question had been answered in more ways than one. The twins were more different than they were alike. If she had asked Ariella the same question, in the same manner, the tower mage would have been much nicer about it and more thorough in her answer.

This other sister, Morrigan thought to herself as she moved to where Sten was standing, stoic as always, is very efficient and feels that she has no use for one such as me. Maybe Allia felt that Morrigan had her own agenda which could be detrimental to the other's goals. Morrigan mused on it as she teased and flirted with the Qunari warrior. This had become a favored past-time of hers, attempting to break through his calm demeanor… it garnered mixed results.

::AtW::

Ariella lead Alistar only as far from the group as to allow them to go unheard. She glanced back, expecting a few curious gazes and found a couple; namely Wynne and Morrigan. Sten was watching as well, but it was hard to tell whether it was for curiousities' sake… it probably was; though he kept much to himself, the mage strongly suspected that he was more intrigued than he would ever admit to anyone.

Ariella felt a surge of pride when she noticed Allia speaking with the group… her first instinct had her widening the link to let her twin know. She stopped herself abruptly. Though it pained her considerably, the distance and distrust, maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was needed to let them both come into their own; become two individuals instead of two halves of a whole.

"Problem?" Alistair asked, his eyebrow cocked as he studied her face. He did seem to enjoy making good use of those eyebrows.

"No… not really." She answered belatedly, bringing her mind back to what she wished to discuss. The **knowing**. Yes.

"I am sure you have noticed that my sister and I seem to act with complete surety upon occasion… as though we know **something** about the outcome before it comes to pass." His other eyebrow joined its fellow high on his forehead as he nodded slightly. "The truth of the matter is… we do. **Know **something."

She raised her hand to ward off any questions he was sure to ask, making her explanation much more confusing than it needed to be. He wondered if she **knew **what he was going to ask.

"Ever since the night of our Joining, Allia and I have had flashes of insight; bits of seemingly instinctual knowledge that has become much more specific as we gain in skill, knowledge, and power. I am not sure if the quality of the **knowing** is at all linked to our powerbase itself, although it is a solid theory, it could just as well be that our knowing is somehow influenced by the darkspawn blood we ingested; it could be that the specifics of the **knowing** are tied to the strength of the darkspawn blood, its taint, within our bodied.

These are both just theories… I am not sure if the why of it all matters overmuch, as it does not seems to be something that we can control. We cannot chose what we **know**, how much we **know**, and quite honestly it rarely seems to give us much notice; Just enough to let us plan for something very much imminent." She paused to take a deep breath, slightly surprised that she was able to rush so much out without pause. Alistair opened his mouth, an action that was met with a warding hand once again; his eyebrows furrowed… was he not going to be allowed to speak at all through this? Really?

"I am telling you this because, as a fellow Warden, you have a right to know as well. There will be some things I cannot or will not reveal to the rest of the group as I do not want to have to explain every inkling or defend a course of action based on information I have no other information on… that and I fear it would undermine the collective opinion they may have of us or come to rely on this ability more than it warrents." He opened his mouth again, pausing a little to see if she was going to shush him again; he was very pleased that he would get a turn to talk.

"I had suspected," He began. He hadn't, not really, having just figured she was just more observant than the rest of them or something. He never claimed to be the sharpest sword in the armory, just the wittiest and best looking. "That you knew more than me and you have never given me cause to doubt your decisions." His hand itched to cup her cheek, tuck that one errant midnight black lock of hair back behind the slightly pointed tip of her ear… he was sure it would not be a currently welcomed gesture.

"I would not want you to now… so there is a bit more that I **know** that I did not share with the others…" She hesitated. "One of the assassins will join our cause and our party."

The male Warden blinked. Once, twice… a third time. "Huh?" Very eloquent, that.

"The one that survives will ask his life be spared in exchange for his joining and aiding our cause."

"You did say **assassin**? As in, someone who was given money to **kill** us? You know, the mercenary type, who always work for the highest bidder… and you would **let** them join us?"

Her eyes, which had warmed at his support quickly turned cold. "Yes. I would, I will." She moved as though to rejoin the other before pausing. "Alistair… for someone who seems to have such an open and accepting heart, you are extremely closed minded and judgmental." Her eyes met his, no emotion was betrayed in the gaze yet he could feel the disappointment. "Hatred and predjudices, either believed to be founded or no, always fester into something much, much, worse. I would hate to see that in you, who can shine brighter than anyone I have ever met." With that she walked away, stray bit of hair twisting in the wind.

He didn't think he was being too unreasonable really. Although he could kick himself for telling her she had never given him cause to question her judgment before turning around and questioning it; not one of his smarter moments really.

He just couldn't understand the way she seemed to believe in everyone. He seriously doubted it was a reflection of how she was raised, nothing he had dragged out of her indicated she and her sister had had much interaction with people growing up. Not to mention the power structure of the Circle Tower and the new attitudes of the Templars therein… left a lot to be desired for a place that raised children. Even if those children were mages.

He had asked Morrigan on the way back to Redcliff what she had thought of the Tower. She had responded curtly, although with a hint of dark amusement, that is was overrun with abominations, demons, and Templars ready to kill a mage on sight; it was just as she had imagined. He hadn't had much to say to that… it was true enough.

Alistair wondered why it was he was so uneasy with the upcoming new addition. He realized then, in that single moment of understanding that so rarely graced him, that it was because he worried that she was too trusting of other peoples' motives and too forgiving of their past crimes. Like Sten having killed an entire family for reasons he had never disclosed. Morrigan, he was sure, was guilty of many similar acts as Flemeth's daughter and a maleficar in her own right. He had a feeling that Lilliana was hiding a secret or two of her own, her skills with a lock-pick and dual handed daggers were not things a person picked up as a lay-sister of the Chantry; not to mention she was Orlesian, but that would make him every bit as short-sighted as she now thought him to be.

Maybe she was right, as he thought about it some more; maybe he was a bit too quick to judge. No harm had come to their group through the other's joining with their cause. Everyone has their secrets after all… was he any different really? Being the bastard son of a deceased king, something he had hidden until it seemed that the secret could be exposed… badly.

Still, he could see no harm in being cautious. He pondered on the irony of that concept, of the whole of it really. Maker works in mysterious ways and all that… or He just has a very odd sense of humor.

::AtW::

I know it was a little shorter than normal; I felt that it would be best to get what I had out without further delay.

I have found myself wishing for a Qunari to English dictionary recently. Or at least a transcript of everything Sten has every said… I am sure he used a few curse words and it would just be wrong to make words up.

So… review if it would please you, and return again if it would do the same.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! I apologize for the extremely long delay in updates. Work is being exceptionally time consuming as of late and is throwing off my self-appointed deadlines. I will be uploading at least once a month until this fic is completed… and won't we all be happy.

Thank you so much for reading this, I hope very much that you enjoy it.

Dragon Age does not belong to me.

:: AtW ::

He watched the bait run towards them, leading the group with contained his target; the three Grey Wardens. It occurred to him that, since their information had been a bit… understated, or lacking as it were, that considerable time and effort could be saved by signaling to have the tree fall just a bit early; crushing some of their prey and trapping the rest.

Of course… let it fall too soon and they could all very well end up on the wrong side of the tree; for his attack. He did a quick count, noting three unknowns in the group; he had been told there would be three Wardens, a mage, and a Mabari. That two of the three Wardens were also mages had given him pause, to which he answered by adding additional enforcements. It would seem that his information had not included what appeared to be a Qunari warrior, yet **another** mage, and one other female; either warrior or rouge judging by her equipment. The only option left out was mage, although he was beginning to believe it would just be his luck.

Then again, he had never been one to put much stock in things like luck; who would when a good plan, excellent skills, and perfect execution worked just as well, if not better, as with the latter came a measure of control? Not to mention excellent skills and perfect execution were what he considered to be the very definition of what he did, as well as himself. Although, he would add exquisite in form and phrase when speaking of himself, naturally.

The tree fell just as the female reached him, as had been decided previously unless otherwise directed. He frowned and went into stealth mode, noting the three warriors had all followed their bait closely with their weapons drawn. There was a moment of uncertainty that he quickly squelched; such things are always the downfall of men such as he… or maybe men in general. He readied for his attack, daggers in each hand, waiting for that one perfect instant where defenses were down; Ah, there it was.

No sooner had he switched from stealth to attack than he was on the ground, hit by what he strongly suspected was a meteor. Stones that large do not move that quickly, naturally. He had but a moment to curse the fact that, faced with so many mages, his plan was doomed from the beginning, before everything went dark.

Ariella looked over their fallen enemies, waiting for the moment of recognition that would tell her **who** exactly she was looking **for**. She had asked the rest of their group to check for survivors and pick up what items could be found; Marker knew it was the only method they currently employed when trying to obtain money or supplies. She made a note to herself that they would look into tasks on the Chantry Board when they reach Denerim. Looting from fallen enemies were one thing, but not necessarily enough to cover all of their expenses; especially when providing armor, equipment, and various other items to what was soon to become nine party members.

And there he was, slowly regaining consciousness. She blinked, noting his slender form, long, pale hair and pointed ears that bespoke his origins… in so far as being an elf had origins.

His brow furrowed, likely in pain, as he ascertained his surroundings. The lack of sound indicated that the battle had ended and his being surrounded and not offered aid… told him that it had ended badly for him. He opened his eyes and propped himself up on one arm, pushing the pain to the back of his mind. This was no time for pitiful indulgences; he would need all of his wit and, noticing the number of females in the group, charm to come out of this with his life. His life was something he was very fond of.

He took a moment, as there was only that, to admire the beauty who stood directly before him. He met and held her gaze, mentally shaking himself as he felt as though he were falling into the blue-green pools. Zevran suspected that should he live, his dreams would be haunted by her every feature; no that he minded truly. He was one who knew how to appreciate such beauty.

The interrogation began and was rather short all things considered. He answered all their questions and, after a fashion, had asked to join their group even though he had no real thoughts on their cause; aside from Darkspawn killing all civilization. He had seen much worse when it came to politics and intrigue; Loghain was very new to the game it seemed and had not learned tact and such phrases as 'plausible deniability'. He kept such thoughts to himself.

"You must find me rather naïve." Ariella mused, having not broken the eye contact one. She had known he would be joining them… part of her wished she had had just a little more information prior.

"I think you're royally tough to kill. And utterly gorgeous. Not that I think you'll respond to simple flattery. But there are worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess." He replied, arching an eyebrow.

Ariella's amusement flowed through her connection with her twin, having momentarily forgotten the strain between them. The cool response reminded her quickly that all was not as it should be and pulled away; the pain of rejection flashed through the link before she could stop it. Ariella told herself Allia should know how her behavior was affecting her… she refused to entertain the idea that her twin simply did not care.

"What is to guarantee that you will not turn on us as swiftly as you did your employer?" She asked, forcing herself to return her attention to the situation at hand.

"Once the Crows learn of my failure, they will kill me; I return to my employer with news of my failure, he will likely try to kill me. Either way, I will be pursued by my brethren and, honestly, being in your company gives me a better chance of living through the year; even with my risking my life to aide you against the darkspawn." He was sure he saw a glimmer of approval in her eye, it was something to consider as she had not taken even a brief moment to appreciate his obvious physical appeal. It was a new concept, to say the least, that a woman's head would not be swayed by a gorgeous face and muscled body.

If he wanted this woman, and he was beginning to think that he did – if only for the challenge it was presenting, he was going to have to pay attention. Not that he minded. None of the females in the group were hard to look at; the two elven ones were beyond exquisite.

"Very well, if you would like to join us, I will vow to you that your life will be as valued as any other of us, and that I will not hold this attempt on my life against you." The dissatisfaction from a group of them was made know. "Any assistance in this task is appreciated, and sorely needed. I for one am not going to place a person's mistake and any potential insecurities I may have in my abilities to see a second attempt, and thwart it, above the importance of using any resources that are offered and available to achieve my goal." She had not moved her eyes from his, and he thought maybe he could see a bit of a challenge in them; a challenge to him or the group he was not sure, although he knew the bulk of her statement was a hit against the nay-sayers. Her belief in his motivations, and his word of honor, humbled him… just a little. He did not have much he needed to be humble for.

She held out a hand to him, which he gladly accepted, enjoying the smoothness of her skin for the short span of the contact. The surety of the grasp and underlying strength was not lost on him; although he was sure the impression of silken strength was what he would carry with him.

"I would heal you myself, but I am not the most skilled in the art. Please, introduce yourself to the others and ask either my sister or Wynne to see to your wounds. We have a distance yet to travel before we make camp." She looked away from him, her gaze no longer focused. "We will talk more later."

She walked away from him, slowly putting a bit of distance between herself and the party. "I have not told you my name." He said before he would have to raise his voice to be heard.

"I know your name, Zevran. I know more about you than you think, but less than I would like." She smiled. "Which is why we will talk again later."

He wished there was something more in the meaning behind her words. His smile was wicked as he did one of the things he did best: flirt. "I am more than willing to bare all to a woman such as yourself; although, I would feel less used if I had your name as well."

Her smile was bright for the moment it lasted. "Ariella." She said simply and continued on her way.

Zevran smirked to himself, maybe it would not be as challenging as he had assumed. He turned to do as she suggested and introduce himself to the rest of the group. He saw his reception was met with varying responses from caution and distrust to amusement and curiosity, although there did seem to be a note of disinterest from the lovely golden-eyed brunet. He watched the way the male warden followed the dark haired twin and knew in that instant that he would have work to do if he wanted her.

If the look in the warden's eyes was any indicator, there was already a play for her affections in the works and Zevran would have to compete with their shared experiences and potential confusion on her part if she was already even slightly wooed. He stood before the light-haired twin, noting that her eyes were also a different color – green where as her sisters were a mixed with blue. He wondered why he had no interest in pursuing her, she was just as beautiful, as their features were identical; with eyes that a man could drown in and a mouth to make a saint dream of sin.

It was not that one sister was more shy than the other, although he was sure this one – who's name he discovered to be Allia – was working hard on overcoming such a thing. She just had an air about her, Allia, that said 'I am very much not interested'. And not in a coy, I would enjoy the chase kind of way. He murmmered a word of thanks for she healing him and watched her slip into the shadow of the large warrior. Had he been interested, he was sure it would be hard-going with such a guard. He would take the love stricken warden and a shared history over a Qunari any day. That was really just common sense.

:: AtW ::

Ariella was wishing for just a moment to herself, wondering idly if it was too much to ask… it would seem so, as Alistair hastened to her side. She liked him, she did, he was sweet, funny, and self-deprecating; mostly. She just needed a moment to process.

"You know… maybe this isen't the best time to be thinking about this, but I've something to ask you." He said when he caught up to her. "Chances are we'll be in Denerim soon, and when we're there I wonder if we might be able to… look someone up."

"You have a friend outside the Grey Wardens?" They had talked before on his upbringing, after he told her he was the bastard son of a king and gave a real answer, and she supposed she should have known that he knew people in other places. Still.

"I'm not talking about a friend, exactly. And, no, it's not **that sort** of friend either." He hesitated. "The thing is, I have a sister. A half-sister.

"I told you about my mother, right? She was a servant at Redcliffe Castle, and she had a daughter… only I never knew about her. I don't think she knew about me, either. They kept my birth a secret, after-all. But after I became a Grey Warden I did some checking and… well, I found out she's still alive. In Denerim."

She blinked. "Have you contacted her?"

He shook his head, looking everywhere but at her. "No. I thought about writing her, but I never did. And then we were called down to Ostagar and I never got the chance." She put her hand on his shoulder, knowing even the hint of Ostagar brought on the pain and loss of Duncan.

"She's the only real family I have left, the only family not also mixed up in the whole royal thing. I've just been thinking that… maybe it's time I went to see her. With the Blight coming and everything, I don't know if I'll ever get another chance to see her. Maybe I can help her, warn her about the danger, I don't know."

Ariella hugged him awkwardly, not really knowing what to do in such a situation and wanting to help in any way she could. He brought his arms around her, slowly. "If you want to, we could try."

He smiled, slightly. "Could we? I'd appreciate that. If something happened to her and I never went at least to see her, I don't know if I could forgive myself." He lowered his arms and stepped back, ending the embrace. "Her name is Goldanna and I think she remarried but still lives just outside the Alienage. If we're in the area, then… well, it's worth a look."

"I will give you some time to… do whatever it is you do when formulating a plan. Thank you for the heads up about the assassin; I am a little uncomfortable and don't trust him as far as I can throw him, but knowing that you **knew** he would be joining us gives me some comfort. Just… be careful, I am not sure how I feel about the look he had in his eye when he was watching you."

Ariella was a little confused , Alistair chuckled. "If you can never recongnize when someone is interested in you before they kiss you breathless in the rain," she blushed at the reminder, "You will find yourself in awkward situations." He kissed her forehead and walked away.

She watched him walk back to the group, slowly thinking back through the conversation. She suddenly felt so very weary and alone. She had respect, admiration, and was even beginning to care for everyone in the group, but they all kept looking to her. What made her fit to make the decisions? Before, when she still had Allia – she ignored the pang from that abandonment – they would discuss and make the decisions together, she had just been the figurehead and spokesperson for them.

She wished she could run. She wished she could cry. There was just so much to do, so much to plan, and now she had seven lives **she** was ultimately responsible for; that **her **decisions would impact. She closed her eyes, pushing everything out of her mind, panic would not help her and if they saw her this way. No, she hardened her resolve; they will not see me weak. Allia will not see me weak.

I will be strong. She opened her eyes and looked out into the sky. I have to be.

In the back of her mind a voice that was one and was all said, "_One can never know how strong they are, until they have no choice._"

She waited for the rest of the group to fall in behind her before smiling and continuing on. They had miles to go through land that was bound to have bandits, soldiers, and darkspawn waiting for them. Miles to go before camp and what she was sure would be amusing and awkward situations and conversations. Honestly, she could wait and the walk would surely do her some good.


	9. Chapter 9

So very much time has passed since my last update that I have forgotten a few of my character descriptions; if anyone notices inconsistencies, please let me know. I will be updating regularly from here to the end of the story, even if it means I must forsake a few of my other hobbies. I promise that I have been working on it, filling in the gaps takes a great deal of effort and is not very fun… and can be a task when what you **really** want to do is play Minecraft and what you really **should** do is study for the LSAT.

If you feel too much time has passed without an update, bug me to your heart's content. At least then I will know someone cares.

:: Disclaimer :: I do not own any rights to Dragon Age and am not making any money off it either.

::AtW::

**Twin Age: Chapter 9**

Denerim.

One would think that the capitol of Fereldan would be beautiful, large, and bustling with activity. Unfortunately, it seemed that any area out of the city center was bustling with activities that would get most people killed and their bodies looted. It WAS large at least, and there are likely people in the city who would find the large stone walls, dirt floors, and the occasional wood buildings beautiful.

They had been to worst places, Allia was sure, but none with quite the same odor. The smell gave Dark Spawn competition. Absolutely disgusting. Even Lothering, with its injured and tainted had not smelled so strongly. It could have been a lack of time, Allia mused.

Denerim, rank with the stench of human sweat, wet dog, urine, and feces. Yes, the city of kings.

:: AtW ::

Ariella had a plan that she wasted no time in implementing once the lot of them entered the Market District. They needed supplies, they needed coin, and she needed a moment to breathe. Splitting the group into teams of three, each lead by a Warden, asking to have classes separated as evenly as possible, had seemed like a good idea; and really, it was.

Allia, Sten, and Morrigan; Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana; herself, Zevran, and Ginn – each to take a third of their excess to sell, barter for needed goods, and complete services for payment. She had begun to see them as little more than grave-robbers after so long of looting the dead; worse still when she acknowledged that most of the dead they took from were beings they had killed. It was little comfort to know it had been kill or be killed. She was slightly disgusted by her growing indifference to death; she did not feel much in the way of remorse when her group would dispose of a band of bandits. If she felt anything at all, it seemed more in the way of annoyance for the delay.

She wondered what that said about her.

It took the better part of a week to reach Denerim after Zevran joined their party. She and Allia had not spoken outside of battle or when considered necessary. Without each other to turn to or share things with, they had slowly begun to grow closer to other party members.

She had taken the time to speak with the newest addition, to know him as best as she could through what he was willing to share. The dark haired mage had been slightly surprised by how honest and forthcoming Zevran had been; she now knew all about his upbringing, how he had come to join the Crows, what he had done for them, and for himself. Part of her was relieved Allia continued to ignore her and all of her conversations; if she had been listening, she would have judged the assassin more harshly than she was likely to have already. So far, the only people she had noticed her twin with had been Sten, Leliana, and Wynne.

It had seemed to Ariella that Zevran was making every attempt to shock her with the tales of his life. Mostly, she found that she understood him better and found herself wishing he thought more of himself. That was not to say that he did not know his strengths and played to them; he had her blushing more than she had the whole of her life to that point. He was suave, he was cunning, and he knew how to charm a woman when he wanted; He made sure she knew he was looking to charm her. What she wished for him, and had told him so, was for him to realize that he was not so selfish and self-serving as he thought himself to be; under it all, he is a good and loyal person, he just had never had to opportunity to show that side of himself.

He had not known what to say to that, or so she thought since he had been quiet for a time. He had asked her how she could be so sure of him, they had only just met. She had looked him in the eye and told him it was in the way he held himself, the look in his eyes when no one was looking, when he was lost in thought; it was the base of him, who he was, and all of the actions of necessity, of survival, could not change it, just hide it from the world and from himself. Her eyes had not left his when she told him she had complete faith in him.

She was slowly beginning to understand that people always thought the worst of themselves and blindly accepted the judgment of others and internalizing those opinions until they **believed** they were as good or as bad as other's thought them to be. It was a rare person who seemed willing to believe in themselves despite the judgment or assumption of others; she could only hope to show them who they were, that no matter who they think they are, they are special and important.

Her relationship with Morrigan was another example. The maleficar seemed to blindly accept the way Alistair and Allia treated her as a given for being what she was; a mage raised outside of the Circle Tower without the close watch of the Chantry. Ariella had wondered briefly if the group considered her very naïve to believe in the good of people; she found she did not care.

The wild beauty had approached her the night before, hesitant, as though she was not sure her counsel would be welcome. She had thanked the elven mage for trusting her with Flemeth's grimour and assured her that her trust had not been misplaced. The golden-eyed mage had hesitated further before stating, with absolute certainty, that time would mend rifts torn asunder by pride and that she would support her as needed.

So much had changed in the time since they left Redcliff. Wynne had pulled her aside to warn her against a relationship with Alistair, Leliana had been recruited into assisting both her and Allia with their hair – as they would no longer help each other, and Alistair…

Alistair had been letting her know, through humor, misdirection, and sweetly fumbling actions just how high his regard of her was. She thought him so sweet and thoughtful, and hated how each attempt was tainted by the horrible argument with her sister.

Ariella had so much to think about and wanted just for the span of a day, to be without the Alistair's hopeful looks and Allia's angry and disapproving glances. A few hours seeing to the necessities of their group were the best she could hope for. Or so she had thought.

Not long after their groups went their separate ways, Ariella was pulled into a dark alley. She looked into her companion's eyes, very much confused and surprised.

"Zevran, what are y—", her question was silenced by his mouth on hers. She froze, even her thoughts ceased under his lips' skillful assault. His body seemed primed with determination, a need to prove something to her. Heat flowed through her and she heard her heart in her ears, which snapped her out of her daze. She pulled back. "This is not –" and again he quieted her with a kiss.

She felt herself begin to melt into him, to want to linger in his embrace; this was a seduction, completely different than Alistair…

Alistair.

The thought of the ginger haired Warden was like being dipped in ice cold water. She twisted out of Zevran's grasp and held him back from her at arm's length. The look in his eyes caused a shiver down her spine; there was such promise…

No. She refused to allow such liberties when she had not sorted her feelings in regards to Alistair. Such a thing was unacceptable.

Zevran watched her thoughts play out in her eyes. She had not been unmoved by his stolen moment, although he had known it was much too soon to make a move. He had not been able to help himself. With all of their talks, his blatant flirting, she had seemed so… genuine, so concerned, and when she said she had complete faith in him, she had seemed so sincere.

The handsome assassin had known, from watching the bumbling oaf with this elven beauty, that his chances of success with her would be small, if it existed at all. He had decided he would take one moment, give her all the promise of what could be with him in that moment, and hope that it would be enough to make her think of him. He wondered if he would mind terribly, if he were to be the second choice. He thought not.

"Zevran, I—" and again he quieted her, this time with a finger to her lips.

"I know, my beautiful leader. I just could not deny myself the pleasure of never having known your taste." He chuckled at her blush. "I would like for you to remember this and know that I am here. I will not take such liberties again, without your express permission." Oh but he hoped she would grant it, the feel of her melting against him was not something he would soon forget.

He turned to leave the alley, knowing she would follow closely behind. "And really, my sweet, I thought you should have something to compare him to." She flushed and he winked. It had not gone badly, in his opinion, his face was hand-print free, and he had a memory to revisit as he was want in the dark of the night. That was enough, for now.

Ariella touched her lips gently and calmed her breath. It had been wholly unexpected and she did not know what to make of this new development. After a moment, she decided to put it out of her mind. Zevran was aware that she was considering a relationship with Alistair and had stated he would not push himself on her again. That was enough for her. One male was more than enough in her estimation.

Ginn whines, drawing her attention. She blinked at the mabari a moment, before glaring openly. "You were so very helpful with that." His ears perked and he wagged his stub of a tail happily. She sighed, she was not made at the dog, nor was she too angry with the light-haired rouge. She was, however, slightly annoyed that her quiet, thinking, time away from the large group had been ruined. She shook her head before catching up with Zevran, they had much to do with limited time. She acknowledged, idly, that Alistair had made a solid point when he told her that if she could not tell when someone was expressing interest in her, that she would end up in awkward situations. She just hoped that was the last one she needed to be worried about.

:: AtW ::

Allia wondered at her choice of companion for their task. She had spoken first and selected those she would prefer to assist her in their endeavor. The goal being to sell items they had no use for, but items that were needed, and complete tasks for coin as the necessities for their group became more expensive with each new addition. She was sure there would be even more companions to come, and if larger numbers equaled a higher chance at success, she would say nothing of it. Out load at least.

Or to anyone for that matter.

Why had she asked for Morrigan and Sten? True, she had found their discussion entertaining, but she was very suspicious of the maleficare's intentions and none of them were well suited for the task. She supposed she should be thankful for the golden-eyed mage's blunt and efficient manner. For all that Allia had refused to allow her shyness to cripple her, she would never have been able to approach the shop keepers, barter for goods, or offer their services for a fee.

This was her very first outing where she was expected to lead, where she did not have Ariella to be her voice and divert attention. She wondered, bitterly, if Ariella had serperated them into groups of three just to see her fail. Though she honestly could not see her sister being so spiteful, she was not feeling too charitable towards her. Just a few nights ago she had watched her sister blush from the assassin's attention and smile shyly at their male Warden's attempts to woo her.

As if one male intending to shatter her heart was not enough. Although, she supposed her dislike of Zevran's designs on her sister had more to do with his manner – so very crude and… self-assured; as though he had danced such a dance many a time and no one had thought to resist him. Confidence was one thing, and Zevran placed himself far on the side of arrogance. She thought him to be a studied heart-breaker.

She shook herself from her thoughts, and evaluated their progress. They had done all they had set out to do in less than an hour's time; if the others were successful or determined to complete tasks on the Chantry board, they would likely be waiting for a decent length of time. Well, if they were not going to assist with the plight of those who were too lazy or weak to see to their tasks themselves (Sten and Morrigan's opinions and she secretly agreed with, at least in most instances), and they were not, they may as well be useful.

"Since we have no intention of wasting our time and resources on those who would reward us to do so," She began, avoiding looking directly at either of her companions, knowing if she did she would not be able to speak at all. "It would likely be best if we attempt to find this Genitivi; which will save us the headache of attempting to look when the group has reunited."

"Tis an admirable idea; we know his residence is located within the Market District, correct?" Allia nodded, having read the lost Recliff soldier's note detail all he had found concerning the Urn of Sacred Ashes. It seemed another lifetime, everything seemed so very different to her now.

"Then we have already eliminated a decent portion of the area with the task we have already completed. Well, lead us in this search then, Warden."

Allia was reminded why she was not overly fond of the witch of the wilds, although how she had forgotten was beyond her. She did not respond, leading them towards a section they had not previously explored. The woman was entirely too irreverent and the light haired mage was certain a majority of the words she spoke were in mockery of the person she was speaking to. With the exception of Ariella. It seemed everyone thought her twin was something special.

_As are you, _came a small voice in a hidden corner of her mind.

:: AtW ::

It was a couple hours past mid-day when the entirety of their party returned to the designated area of the Market District Square. Ariella was pleasantly surprised and appreciative at the success they had had with their task. Each group reported on their activities, a few trying to best one another with tales of their achievements. Ariella thanked each of them for their efforts and was relieved and proud to find that Allia's group had located Genitivi's residence. She had not been looking forward to the difficulty having such a large group assembled when looking for one place. She was sure it would have been a headache in the making.

"There is one last thing that needs seen to today. If you all would be so kind as to take the remaining items and new additions back to camp, you are free to do as you please for the rest of the day. Allia, Alistair, and I will return to camp as soon as we are finished." Ariella said, having caught Alistair's hopeful, and nervous, glances.

As soon as the rest of their party were out of ear-shot, Ariella gave a short summary of the request Alistair had approached her with earlier in the week. Allia nodded, but said nothing. What was she to say? That she did not need to accompany them on such an errand? That she was **sure** Alistair would much prefer this chance to be alone with her twin, and since her twin was **so very sure** of him…

"If Allia is uncomfortable with this, she does not have to come with us." Alistair said, affirming to the light-haired twin that **he** at least, would much rather her not be there.

"You once said the Grey Wardens were your family, and the three of us are all that are left of it." Ariella said simply. "What kind of family would we be if we did not support you in this?"

He nodded and began walking in the general direction of the Alienage; which was said to have been experiencing a strange plague and no one was to be admitted. Ariella had wanted to see… Alistair stopped abruptly pointing jerkily to his left.

"That's my sister's house… I am almost sure of it, this is… yes. This is the right address. She could be inside. Can we… go and see?" Hope and nerves colored his tone. Ariella could not resist the chance to tease him, just a little.

"Wouldn't you like to go in alone?"

His eyes widened and he paced a little before responding. "Do I seem a little nervous? I am. I really don't know what to expect…" I'd like you both to be there with me, if you're willing." He paused a moment. "Or we could… leave, I suppose. We really don't have time to pay a visit, do we? Maybe we should go."

She shook her head at him, stopping herself short of attempting to share an amused glance with Allia. The cool glares she received in return were enough to make her weary of slipping. "Let's see if she is home."

Alistair stopped her abruptly. His nerves very much dictating his actions. "Will she even know who I am? Does she even know I exist? My sister. That sounds very strange… 'sister'… 'siiiisssttteeer.'" He thought a moment. "Hmmmm. Now I'm babbling. Maybe we should go. Lets just… go."

Ariella does not give him another chance to change his mind; thinking they would be there all day if she did. They walk in.

"Uh… Hello?" Alistair called, taking in the sparse room.

An attractive female appeared from the back. Allia thought their resemblance to be fairly obvious, if mostly in their coloring.

"Eh? You have linens to wash? I am charging three bits for a bundle. You won't find better." The woman said briskly. "And don't trust what that Natalia woman tells you either, she's foreign and she'll rob you blind."

Alistair hesitated, not sure how to approach the subject. "I'm not here to have any wash done. My name's Alistair, I'm… well, this may sound sort of strange, but are you Goldanna?" He asked quickly. "If so, I suppose I'm your bother."

The woman seemed confused and slightly annoyed. "My what? I am Goldanna, yes… How do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you folks up to?" She demanded.

Allia, for one was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "Are you sure your information was correct Alistair?"

He thought a moment. "Yes… I think so." He shook his head. "I'm sure of it in fact." He took a deep breath. " Look, our mother worked as a servant at the Castle Redcliff a long time ago, before she died. Did you know about that? She—"

"You!" She exclaimed, interrupting. "I knew it! They told me you was dead. They told me the babe died along with my mother, but I knew they was lying!" She spat.

Alistair was very confused. "They told you I was dead? Who? Who told you that?" He asked.

"Thems at the castle! I told them the babe was the kings, and they said he was dead. Gave me a coin to shut my mouth and sent me on my way! I knew it!" Resentment and vindication filled her tone. Ariella and Allia knew this was not going to end well.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that. The babe didn't die. I'm him; I'm… your brother." Alistair said, confusion becoming apology. Ariella's heart went to him, the underlying hope seemed to very obvious…

"For all the good it does me!" Goldanna scoffed, anger and resentment very apparent. "You killed our mother, you did, and I've had to scrape by all this time? That coin didn't last long and when I went back, they ran me off!"

Allia had heard about enough. "That's hardly Alistair's fault, is it?" She demanded, her anger and disgust enabling her speech. Goldanna turned her gaze on the light haired elf.

"And who in the Maker's name are you?" She asked in disdain. "Some tart following after his riches I expect?"

Allia was literally stunned; Ariella was in much the same state. She must have been joking… right?

It seemed to have crossed a line for Alistair as well. "Hey, don't speak to her that way." He spoke harshly. "She is my friend and a Grey Warden just like me!"

Goldanna rolled her eyes. "Oooohhhh, I see. A prince and a Grey Warden too! Well, who am I to think poorly of someone so high and mighty compared to me?" She asked sarcastically. "I don't know you, boy. Your royal father forced himself on my mother and took her away from me, and what have I got to show for it?" She demanded. " Nothing. They tricked me good! I should have told everyone! I got five mouths to feed, and unless you can help with that, I got less than no use for you."

Alistair was taken aback. "I… Im sorry. I… I don't know what to say…"

Ariella knew they could not stand much more of this. There must be a way to appeal to this woman's good nature… surely there is room in her heart for a long lost brother. "Goldanna, Alistair came here hoping to find his family." She said evenly, hoping a calm tone would ease the situation.

"Well he found it! And what good is that to me? None, that's what, unless he sees to it his family lives as it should." It seemed not.

Alistair, touched the dark haired mage lightly on the shoulder, hesitant. "I suppose I could give her some money… for my nieces and nephews. Fifteen sovereigns, maybe? Would you let me give her that?" Allia snorted, making her thoughts well known. Ariella agreed with her twin's assessment, but… if this was the only time he saw her… Maybe giving her the money will ease his mind in the end.

"Yes, go ahead if you like." She said, not looking at her twin who was very likely to have her outrage clearly written all over her face.

"Then," He paused holding the gold in his hand. "Here, Goldanna… take this money. I know it's not much but—"

"You, a prince, marching in here with your fancy armor and such, and this is all you got to offer? You must think I am very stupid." She chuckled humorlessly.

Alistair's jaw dropped. "No, wait, I don't think that at all! I want to help, if I can…"

"You want to help? You go to whatever high and mighty folks you run with and you tell them you got nieces and nephews who aren't living as they've a right to! You do that!"

Alistair was at a complete loss. He did not know how his sister could believe he had influence; he was a bastard, for Maker's sake. The only money he had access to were the funds from Ariella's careful management.

"It looks like all she wants is your money. " Allia said softly.

"Yes, it really seems that way." He sighed. "I wasn't expecting my sister to be so… I am beginning to wonder why I came." Ariella heard the hurt and wariness lacing his tone. Oh how she wish she had been able to spare him this.

"I don't know why you came either, or what you expected to find, but it aint here. Now get out of my house, the both of you." Goldanna spat, apparently ready to resort to physical means if necessary.

"Let's leave, now." Ariella said softly, placing her hand on his arm. They needed to put this place far behind them.

"I agree, let's get out of here." He replied, and was the first out the door, Allia followed quickly behind.

Ariella paused and turned her attention to the woman before her. "I can understand your bitterness, I can understand your need to survive as best you know how. What I cannot understand, what I cannot forgive, is an instinct to cause pain due to your own self interest." The mage smiled a little. "I comfort myself in the knowledge that, when he is King, as he will be – there are no other heirs to the thrown after all – you and your children will not benefit from his innate sense of kindness and decency." She was opening the door when she added. "Just think what you could have gained if you had possessed even a little kindness in your heart."

The light of the evening sun, was almost blinding after the time in the house. Alistair, wasted no time, his discomfort over the whole event palpable.

"Well… that was… not what I expected. To put it lightly." He said, disappointed. "I'm sorry I gave her any money at all. This is the family I've been wondering about all my life? That gold-digging harridan? I can't believe it. I… I guess I was expecting her to accept me without question. Isn't that what family is supposed to do? I feel like a complete idiot." He stated. Disbelief, confusion, and rejection obvious through the words as much as the way he said them.

Ariella stood close to him, placing her hand on his arm in an attempt to give comfort. She wished she knew what to do in such a situation. "I don't know what to say… I am sorry it ended like this."

"Everyone is out for themselves, you should both learn that." Allia said, considering the subject closed. This was the point she had been trying to make all along, maybe this was what her sister needed to see to finally realize…

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I should." Alistair said and sighed. "Let's just go, I don't want to talk about this anymore." He walked away, not bothering to glance back at the house and the disillusionment it provided.

Ariella knew this would not be the end of it, that he needed time to process what happened and come to terms. She wished she could say that she did not understand the pain of being let down or betrayed by a sibling, even if the circumstances were very, very, different. Still, she would be there for him when he needed her.

If she wished they could all reverse time and never have learned or been subjected to man-kind's darker nature, well… she was sure no one could blame her.


	10. Chapter 10

Here I am again, didn't think it would be so soon, did you? As I said last time, it had been so very long since my last update, I was very unsure what I had said, and if I had confused character descriptions in my head; I read through all of the chapters I had posted and was a little embarrassed, to say the least.

I do not have a beta and after I have written a chapter, I cannot bring myself to do more than a cursory proof-read, and you have all seen the results of that. Enough time has passed that I may be removed enough from previous chapters to go through and correct them, although, if anyone would like to volunteer their services, I am unlikely to turn you away.

That said, I would like honest and constructive opinions as I go. To answer a question asked of me long ago, regarding Hope and Faith; no, there is much more to this than that. They are not exactly the physical manifestation of the spirits, but their actions have inspired people in such a way. The twins were raised in the tower, they had few friends, and know nothing of a life outside those stone walls. The purpose of the introduction of Hope and Faith was to give them something to help them deal with the 'real world'.

On with the story!

Oh, almost forgot…

::Disclaimer:: I do not own, make money from, or profit in any way from my imaginings using Dragon Age characters, locations, and the occasional dialogue. If any of the writers for the game read this and like it well enough to submit to their supervisors, I may be interested in a career change. ;)

**Twin Age: Chapter 10**

The trek to Haven took two weeks, though they had traveled as quickly as possible. Their breaks had been minimal and Ariella's body was wearing under the strain. She was far from the only one affected, Wynne seemed especially weak and would experience coughing fits; none of the healing she and Allia tried seemed to help over much.

The dark haired Warden was worried; she was unsure what they would face in the people of Haven, although she knew it was going to be a battle. A people who were willing to murder an apprentice and impersonate them in order to protect their secret were not likely to welcome a group of armed travelers with open arms.

They made camp a half-hour's walk from the town wall and Ariella decided they would use the rest of the day to rest before facing whatever lied in wait for them in the town half-way up a mountain. The relief of her companions was prominent; even Alistair, who had been the driving force behind their pace, agreed with the decision. Part of her had hoped a majority of their group would be too exhausted to talk by the end of the day.

It had only taken the first night in camp after leaving Denerim to make her wish to trade bodies with her twin. People did not attempt to gossip with Allia, or extract information from her, or complain to her. Ariella did not know what to do about it; it seemed that Alistair _saying_ he did not want to talk about Goldanna any more had actually meant he did not want to speak of it with the twins. He had confided in Leliana and soon, the entirety of the camp knew what had happened.

It seemed the male Warden had neglected to ask their red headed companion to keep their conversation to herself. Ariella knew, if he had, Leliana was unlikely to speak of it with another. How in the world the situation had been replayed to Morrigan was well beyond her though. She had yet to see any of her companions take the time to speak with the witch of the wilds, and was very surprised to see the golden-eyed mage at the main campfire speaking with Alistair.

They were not, apparently, making any attempts to keep their conversation private.

"So you met this sibling of yours?" Morrigan asked, intrigued. That she had heard of such a thing only after it had occurred from the Orliesian spy was of interest as well. The apostate was relieved to find affirmation regarding their leader's ability to keep confidences.

Alistair sighed. Why hadn't he mentioned that he would rather this be kept secret? Or at least say something along the lines of 'I don't want everyone to know that my only living family consists of a cruel and selfish woman'. "Half-sister, but yes."

Morrigan was not one to end a conversation before it suited her, and the almost Templar was being surprisingly open; especially when she knew it to be an uncomfortable subject for him. Not that his discomfort matter much to her. "And she turned out to be an insufferable hag?"

He chuckled darkly. "You'd have liked her." He smirked. "You two have a lot in common. "

She ignored the bait. "And you let her berate you? Without punishment?" This was a concept she could not understand. Even though the interactions between her and the bastard prince were antagonistic at best, they did not allow a slight against them without a response. It just was not done.

Alistair said nothing. What could he say? That he had been too distracted by his disappointment and disillusionment to say much of anything? That he had hoped that after she had had time to vent her anger and frustration, that maybe she would have been able to see past her resentment of his father and accept him? Right.

"And you gave the woman money?" Alistair heard curiosity and bewilderment in her tone; as though she could not understand how he could let such things slide and then reward the woman for the effort. He did not really understand it either.

"Err… yes?" Oh, he knew this conversation was not going to end well. They always did, between the two of them, and most of the time he was hard pressed to say who came out on top. He was pretty sure it was rarely him.

"Why would you do such a thing?" She demanded and Alistair almost, _almost_, believed she was concerned with how it would affect him. "This woman is a parasite who will appreciate nothing you do for her, you know this!"

He sighed again. He couldn't really disagree, not after everything Goldanna had said. Still. "It's moments like this when I truly appreciate the difference between you and me." He was done talking with her about this. He was done before the conversation had started, really.

Morrigan scoffed and turned to leave the main camp fire, angry without true justification. "'Tis moments like this when I truly wonder at the difference between you and a toadstool."

Ariella had watched the exchange with interest. For all that the wild beauty kept to herself and would likely justify her initiation of the conversation as curiosity towards people's stupidity, she was sure it was more that Morrigan did not appreciate anyone else causing her fellow Warden such discomfort. As though his sister had infringed on the apostate's territory.

She sat down beside him, picking up a sit and poking at the fire; she waited. If he wanted to talk he would, if not, he would likely retire to his bedroll soon enough.

"Today has been straight out of a nightmare." He said, staring into the flames.

"I could pinch you if you would like; in case you are wondering if you are dreaming." She offered, hoping he would see past it all…

"If only I were so lucky." He muttered before turning to her. "Thank you for being there today, I know it went about as badly as it could have, and that we were completely unprepared." He paused. "I think… I think that if I were to have faced it alone, I would have done anything she asked.

"Not that I defended myself or did much of anything, even with you and Allia there. But if you hadn't been… I would have done whatever it took to have her accept me." He chuckled bitterly. "I felt like an idiot for having thought she was going to welcome me with open arms; I feel more a fool for knowing I would have been desperate enough to throw aside all of my pride and honor over a person such as her."

Ariella was quiet. There was much that could be said, but navigating this road would be tricky at best… and she had no way of knowing what he needed from her. "Allia was all I had for the longest time." She began, slowly. "When we were very young, we witnessed many a child being brought to the tower in tears; crying and begging for the family they had been taken from.

"We were newly born when we were placed in the care of the Circle. We do not know if we have a mother and a father, any sisters or brothers. We were told our surname is Surana and that we were born in an Alienage; but I overheard one of our instructors talking about our beginnings…" She hesitated. "We had been taken from an Alienage, but the Templar's who brought us gave no information about our parentage and so the First Enchanter had gifted us with our names. I have never had the courage to confront him about it."

She raised her hands and focused on the fire, shifting it into shapes much as she used to when practicing and competing with her twin in their time before. "What I am trying to say is… I admire your courage and willingness to take such a risk.

"I cannot say that I would have done much differently when faced with such a situation. Allia and I… we have always tried to see the positives, to find the best in people and their actions." She smiled sadly. "I will admit that it was more me than her; she constantly cautioned me… she protected me from my expectations, her shyness let her see things I was blind to. And her natural weariness of the intentions of people she does not know well has likely saved her a lot of trouble.

"One thing I have learned is that, if you do not give of yourself, others will give nothing. It is a risk one takes if one does not want to live a lonely life."

He watched her make the fire dance, wondering at her power and control. He had never asked her about her life in the tower, not really. He could almost kick himself.

"Why is it then that you and Allia did not have many friends?" He asked, honestly interested. In the time he had known them, Ariella was so easy and natural with everyone… it was just so difficult to believe that they had no other personal attachments.

She smiled at him, impishly. "Oh, well, when we were very young, you would think we were the darlings of the Tower. You should ask Wynne about it sometime, really, but being infants when we came, our care was very much a joint effort among the Circle Mages and a few select Templars. We were spoiled with attention, and as we grew older the others who came resented us for various reasons."

"What reasons could they possibly have?"

"Allia always told me it usually came down to jealousy." She shook her head. "We absorbed the knowledge quickly and were mastered our skills eagerly. We were considered favored by the instructors because of our upbringing, and later… Allia told me she heard the girls complaining about boys they liked rejecting them because they found us attractive."

"So you were both chased after?" This from Leliana. Alistair looked about, only slightly surprised to note that all of their party members were close to the fire; Even Morrigan seemed to be lingering at the edges.

"Not that they ever seemed to notice." Wynne said, amused. "The two of them had their noses in a tome most times you would see them. The only person who seemed determined enough to befriend either of them was Jowan. He did not seem to mind being largely ignored."

Ariella's smile faltered at the mention of the friend she had betrayed. "Allia always said he only bothered because he wanted our help and to boost his reputation." That was the closest to friendship people seemed to attain in the tower. She only hoped talking of that time did not cause her twin more hurt.

"But you are so sweet and open; it is so hard to believe…"

Ariella was shaking her head. "I am no saint. Allia and I have done things we would rather not speak of or remember when we felt it was warranted. I even betrayed the only person who bothered to befriend us." She stood abruptly, having long since ended her manipulation of the flames. "Goodnight."

She had gone to her tent and tried to put it all out of her mind. She had done what she had thought best at the time and now… she was not so sure. Oh, there were any number of excuses she could give, she had been so sheltered, so naïve… none of them meant anything. Nothing justified it. She had betrayed the trust of someone who had depended on her; even blood mages deserved a friend's loyalty.

In the days afterward, she was sure Allia had come to despise her even more. Their companions had taken to confronting the light haired mage about the revelations she had given; putting her in a position she had not been subjected to in a very long time.

Allia for her part was frustrated with the lot of them. How was it any of their business? Had Ariella not told them enough; attempting to step down from the pedestal a majority of them had placed her on. Alistair especially.

At least their fellow Grey Warden had not been pestering her for answers. Telling different people, "Ariella reported Jowan's intention to escape the Tower with an initiate because she was worried the suspicions of Jowan being a blood mage." Did not seem to be enough, though everyone in the group knew it had turned out to be true. Ariella's only other friend had been a blood mage who had escaped the Tower despite having been reported to the First Enchanter. They knew he had escaped and was a blood mage because **he** was the one who had poisoned Arl Eamon; resulting in the necessity of their current quest.

At least no one had mentioned that Allia had been friendly with a Templar. Though she wondered if any of the suspected, those who had witnessed her state of mind in the Tower and her behavior in the time thereafter. It brought her up short to think no one cared.

Only after Ariella had finished a conversation with Sten were her unacknowledged fears put to rest.

"You and your sister Warden have the ability to speak without words."

She almost jumped, so accustomed to their silence. She was confused, she and her sister had not communicated through their link in weeks.

"Yes, though we have not in some time."

"Is it not odd for someone to have access to your every thought? To not be able to have a secret?" He asked.

She paused. She had never really thought about it. "We have always considered ourselves to be two parts of the same person; two halves of a soul. We think, feel, and react differently as we have been given two different perspectives. It is not odd, to us; it is all we have ever known."

He said nothing for a time and she relaxed into the silence. She thought of how he had mentioned to Ariella that Fereldan was a strange country where no one was content to be who they are; Allia wondered how it was for the Qunari then. Did they love and lose? There is so much they did not know about him…

"Happiness is fragile." He stated, almost as though hearing her thoughts; making the only mention he would as to the changes she had made since the Circle Tower. "Nothing can be built upon it that will last. You have learned, Quiet One, only duty endures."

She nodded and returned her attention to watching the night, her heart a little lighter. Of the group, he was the only one, other than Ariella, she would care to have notice or care.

So much had happened in such a short time. She had begun to wonder at her continued anger and bitterness towards her twin. Allia knew her sister as no one else would ever even be given the chance to. She knew she was not afraid of losing her sister over this, no matter their anger, wounded pride, or mutually maintained thinned connection; they could only be truly separated by death. One thing she was absolutely sure of, the longer the fueled this feud, the harder it would be for them to apologize later.

:: AtW ::

Alistair watched the elf he had come to care for attempt to warm herself by the fire. They were, as a group, ill-prepared for high elevations, and freezing temperatures. He found himself wishing for a cloak to offer, maybe an animal skin of some sort. If he had one, he was sure he could use it as a fumbling attempt at a conversation starter. He was very much at a loss.

He had spent a lot of time watching her; noticing how close she was becoming with most members of their group. He had been worried about the way things seemed to have been developing with the elven assassin… He had not wanted to bring it up to the dark haired mage, not when things seem to be going so well with **them**. So, he had done the next best thing: Attempting to talk to Allia about it.

That had resulted in a cold, and very definite, dismissal; his pride was still a bit hurt by that one and he really wanted to say something along the lines of 'it's no wonder men want nothing of you', but somehow knew that would result in tears, extreme disapproval of all party members, and likely (ultimately) an extremely painful death. He wouldn't have really meant it anyway.

This left him with only one reasonable alternative… talking with Leliana. Now, he would not say he was the smartest man alive, would argue about he was in the camp – if only for pride's sake, but he was not likely to repeat the same mistake twice. Or so he told himself.

This time, he asked that she keep their talk to herself and kindly not share his concerns with the world. Mostly, he didn't want her talking to Ariella about it and if he didn't say something directly, Leliana was pretty likely to talk to Ariella about anything he had to say that she thought was interesting. Still, it was a risk he was going to have to take…

He approached her one evening in camp, after noticing Ariella occupied with the dwarf traders who made camp with them.

"So… you're a female, Leliana, right?" He asked, trying not to fidget and wishing almost desperately for pockets. He would do much better, at least in his own mind, if he could just put his hands in his pockets.

The cloistered sister arched her brow when she looked at him. "I am? That's news. When did that happen?"

Well, this is going so very well, he thought; mentally kicking himself for saying something so stupid. "I just wanted some advice." He hurried on… she couldn't hold a stupid statement against him for long could she? "What should I do it… if I think a woman is special and –"

She cut him off. "You want to woo her? Here's a good tip: you shouldn't question her about her female-ness." Okay, so it was more than she thought it was stupid, he had accidentally insulted her.

"All right, yes." He said, "Good point."

It seemed she her curiosity had surpassed his unintended insult. "Why do you ask? Are you afraid things will not proceed naturally?"

He scoffed. "Why would they? Especially when I do things like ask women if they're female."

That made her smile. " It adds to your charm, Alistair. You are a little awkward. It is endearing."

He paused. "So I should be awkward?" He asked, confused. "Didn't you just say not to do things like that?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just be yourself. You do know how to do that, don't you?"

That was working so very well for him now, wasn't it? Maybe he was going about it wrong. "All right, forget I asked." He said, fidgeting some more as he tried to find a way to ask… oh, best to blurt it out and hope for the best.

"So Im wondering something… what exactly does a woman see in a man like Zevran?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Oh, he's handsome enough for some. Why do you ask?" Definitely interested.

Alistair fumbled. What was he supposed to say? Well, the elf is trying to steal the object of my affections and I am worried it may be working; so really I just want to know what he had that I don't so I can do something about it. "No reason." He mumbled before continuing. "It's just… doesn't he seem to be a bit too much? The hair, the clothing…."

Leliana blinked at him. "I don't understand. A bit too much what?" She paused. "Do you have a problem with him?"

He thought a moment; how would he recover from this? "Beyond the fact that he's an assassin who's tried to kill us more than once. No… no, not really. Do women go for that sort of thing?" Nice. That should work and really, women wouldn't—

" Where I come from they do, oh yes." She replied.

Oh, he thought. "Huh. Really? I see." He said before nodding his thanks and wandering off.

"Ah, Warden, I see you are feeling threatened by my prowess." Alistair spun towards the voice. How had he not noticed the elf listening. Oh, wait, assassin, sneaky… yeah. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, I can even offer you advise if you would like."

"No, I think I am good." Alistair replied, racking his brain for some way to come out of this with his pride intact.

"Well, I feel I should tell you that my… attentions have been spurned by our lovely leader as her affections are elsewhere." Huh? Alistair thought. Zevran smirked at the look on the male Warden's face.

"Yes, imagine my surprise as well." Alistair flushed, okay there was the insult. "Still I will have you know that, once you… how do you say? Ruin? Yes, that works well enough." The Antivan continued, "One you ruin your chances, I will be here, waiting."

"Well, I am not going to 'ruin' anything." Alistair stated. Or at least he hoped. The light haired elf just smirked at him and slipped into the shadows. He would try very, **very**, hard not to ruin it. He was sure the assassin was not bluffing.

He had gotten his answer, without having to initiate an awkward and defensive conversation with Ariella; which was, he supposed, his goal. Their talks had strayed into more personal areas, resulting in a stilted conversation regarding the licking of lamp-posts in winter. Nice way of reassuring a girl that you are a virgin. He sighed and shook of his lingering embarrassment over the whole thing.

He went about building up his courage. After they had Andraste's Ashes, then he would finally make his move. That was what he had promised himself after talking of lamp-posts in winter, and likely why he had been pushing them to get to Haven as quickly as possible. He was sure they all thought it was out of worry for Arl Eamon, and sure, there was that; mostly though, he just didn't want to lose his nerve.

There is only one first time you ask a woman to spend the night with you. Alistair just hoped she would be as receptive as he thought she may be. He searched through his pack for his bedroll.

It was the most he could offer to keep her warm, unless she happened upon a wolf to skin. Valiantly, showing her his manly prowess… and giving him a story to tell by way of starting a conversation.


End file.
